The Gift
by Sara9
Summary: This is another Chandler and Monica fanfiction, starting a few years down the road. There's a lot more information included with the first chapter. *Epilogue added*
1. The Proposal

A/N - I haven't finished posting the last couple of chapters to my other fanfiction yet, but I thought I'd go ahead and put up the first chapter of this one. I'm sure that a lot of people have used the idea that I based this one on - I think you'll see what it is once you start reading - but I wanted to give it a try myself. I just got this idea in my head, and I started writing. I thought that this would be a short one, but once I started writing, I didn't want to stop. So, yes, I have _most_ of the whole thing finished (16 chapters of - most likely - 18), but no, I'm not putting it all up at once. I like keeping people in suspense... My title isn't very original, but I titled all of the chapters this time. Maybe that will make up for it... I categorized this as romance and drama. I usually write sappy stuff, and this has some of that, too, but I tried to add a little drama to make it a little more interesting. I hope you like it. Please tell me what you think.

Okay... Just a little information to get you started... This one begins a few years down the road, but you're going to have to start with a clean slate. Chandler and Monica never got together, but Ross and Rachel are married, and have a baby girl, Rebecca. They live in Ross' apartment - aka the former home of Ugly Naked Guy. Phoebe lives in her grandmother's apartment. Chandler and Joey still live in their apartment. Monica still lives in hers.

**__**

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters from _Friends_. They belong to their brilliant creators.

Sorry for the extremely long author's note. I'll try not to do that again... Let me know what you think, good or bad...

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The Gift

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Chapter One - The Proposal

Knock! Knock!

Monica sighed when she heard the quiet knocking on her bedroom door. She'd made it through the entire day with no interruptions and now, at 11:48 - according to the clock on her nightstand - someone had dared to interrupt her day of sulking. Today was her birthday. Her fortieth birthday. And she wanted to be alone.

"Mon, it's Chandler. Can I come in?" he called quietly through the door. The entire gang - minus Monica - had just finished watching a movie. Although Monica had insisted that no one make a big deal out of her birthday, they had rented one of her favorite movies for the evening. But, regardless of how much they begged, she refused to come out of her room for more than a few minutes at a time. Chandler wanted to respect her wish for a birthday with no celebration, but now that the others had all gone home, he had to wake Monica.

"Yeah, come on in," she answered and pulled her blanket over her chest.

Chandler walked in and smiled slightly. "Were you asleep?"

"No, not yet. I still have twelve minutes of my birthday to celebrate," she said with absolutely no enthusiasm.

"Yeah... I know we all promised not to mention it, but happy birthday anyway," he grinned.

"Thanks," she smiled in reply. She motioned for him to sit down on the edge of the bed, and he did. "So, what are you still doing here at almost midnight?"

He took a deep breath before answering. "Well... For one thing, I wanted to say happy birthday."

"Well, you did that," she replied. "Was there another thing?" she questioned.

"Um... Yeah, there was. I kind of have a birthday present for you."

"Chandler, I said no presents. Today is just a depressing day. I just turned...well, you know...and I'm still alone. No boyfriend, no husband, no babies, nothing. I don't need presents to mark the occasion."

"What if I said I could help you out with one of those things?" Chandler said quietly, unable to look into her eyes.

"You wanna set me up with somebody? Because, at the moment, I'd be willing to go out with just about anybody," she laughed lightly.

"That desperate, huh?" he teased, looking up at her and smiling. He looked back down and continued. "Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of the baby thing."

"The baby thing?" she repeated, confused.

"Okay," he began nervously. "Look, Mon. Neither of us are getting any younger, and we're not involved with anyone right now, so..."

"Chandler, are you suggesting that you and I go out?" Monica asked, shocked. Chandler was her best friend. She hadn't expected to hear this from him.

"Not exactly," he replied, looking up at her. "Do you remember when Ben was born and I suggested that if neither of us were married by the time we were forty we could have a baby together?" She nodded. "Well, we're forty, and we're not married, so I thought..." He returned his gaze to his hands resting on his lap, allowing his sentence to go unfinished.

"You were serious?" she asked with wide eyes. "I just thought you were trying to cheer me up or something."

"Well, I was, kind of," he admitted. "But I know you still want to have kids and, as much as you hate to admit it, you're not getting any younger. And the longer you have to wait, the harder it will be to have a baby of your own."

Monica looked at him, not completely sure if she was hearing him correctly. Was he really offering to have a baby with her? "Listen, Chandler. When you said you had a birthday present for me, I was expecting a nice piece of jewelry or a new sweater. I didn't expect you to offer me a baby..." She reached over and tilted his chin up so their eyes could meet. "I think that this is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me, Chandler, but I don't think you realize what you're offering. I mean... You can't be serious about this."

"Why not?" he asked, acting as if his offer to father her child was the most normal thing in the world.

"Because," she said simply. "It would be weird, don't you think? You and me, having a baby together?"

"Why? Ross and Rachel have one," he reasoned.

"Yes, but they're married, and in love. We've never even dated."

"But I _do_ love you, Monica. You're my best friend... Just don't tell Joey," he grinned. "I'd do anything for you. You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah... And I feel the same way about you, Chandler, but this is a life altering decision."

"I know," he agreed. "I'm sorry that I brought it up. I just thought... Well, I don't know what I thought. I just know that the idea of having a baby with you has started to grow on me. I know you were dreading this day - your birthday - but I've been thinking about it for awhile now, so I could talk to you about this."

Monica didn't speak for a minute, just trying to take in everything that she was hearing from Chandler. She sat there, trying to list the pros and cons of the situation in her head. If she _did_ do this, she'd finally have a baby. And it would be with Chandler, a man that she actually enjoyed spending time with. But he was her best friend and it just seemed a little strange. "Chandler, if we did this, wouldn't it be weird when we, um...when the, uh...when the baby was conceived?" She could feel her cheeks burning.

"Well, we wouldn't actually have to...do it ourselves. There are ways around that," he answered. He couldn't even look at her. Maybe she was right. Maybe it _was_ too weird.

"You've really thought about this, huh?"

He smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I really have."

She sighed. "I have to think about it, Chandler. A lot. This isn't just something we can jump into, but you're absolutely right. I'm not getting any younger. My biological clock is ticking," she smiled. "And I _do_ want to have a baby... I just need some time to think. But I'll seriously consider it. I promise."

He smiled at her and leaned over to kiss her forehead. "Take all the time you need," he said as he stood, ready to leave. "Just remember, your biological clock is ticking," he teased and grinned at her before leaving her bedroom.

==========

"Thanks for breakfast, Mon. See you later," Phoebe said as she exited the apartment to head off for work.

"Bye," Monica called after her and continued cleaning up the breakfast dishes. She yawned as she put away the last glass. She hadn't gotten any sleep the night before, thanks to her conversation with Chandler. When he left, she had stayed up half the night trying to figure out if he was really serious about having a baby with her, and if she wanted to actually do it if he _was_ serious. She had to admit, it was the best - and only - offer she'd had in a long time

"Hey, Mon." Chandler's voice interrupted her thoughts when he entered the apartment.

"Hey," she said quietly, absent-mindedly wiping the countertop with a sponge.

"Earth to Monica. What's going on?" Chandler asked, waving a hand in front of her face. "You're not worrying about what I said last night, are you? Because you really shouldn't stress out about it. I didn't mean to upset you."

She looked up at him and shook her head. "No, Chandler, you didn't upset me. I was just... Nothing. Nevermind."

"What is it?" he asked curiously.

"I _was_ thinking about last night," she admitted. "I just got this image in my mind of you with a baby. Your baby."

"A good image? Or was I using it as a football?" he laughed, recalling Ross' problems with that nightmare right before Ben was born.

"No, it was a good image," she assured him. "It just seemed so right," she said quietly. They were both silent for a moment before Monica continued. "I wanna do it, Chandler. Let's have a baby together."

"Really? Are you sure?" Chandler asked.

"You know what, I _am_ sure," she answered, a little surprised herself. "Shouldn't I have at least one of my dreams come true? I've always wanted a baby, and you're just the kind of man I'd like to have one with. You're the sweetest, most caring, loving man I know, Chandler. You'd have to be to offer me this," she chuckled. "You'd make a wonderful father to _any_ child. Why not mine?"

"Are you really sure about this, Monica? I don't want you to do this just because you think I want it. I -"

"Wait a minute. Because I _think_ you want it? Don't you want it, Chandler? If you don't, we don't have to do this. I don't want you to be doing it just because you feel sorry for me."

"I'm not. I'm doing this because you want a baby, and I want a baby. I'd like to have a son or daughter of my own, believe it or not. I've been thinking about it for a long time now. I just haven't been able to find the right woman to do it with, and I don't want to be eighty when my kid graduates from high school. Then I realized that the perfect woman was already in my life."

"So I guess that means Phoebe said no, huh?" Monica teased.

"Yeah... I was really disappointed," he grinned, playing along with her.

She simply smiled at him. "So you really want to do this?"

"Yes, I really want to do this," he assured her. He smiled at her, and she returned his smile with another of her own. "Okay. I can't give you a marriage proposal, so how's this? Monica Geller, will you have my baby?" he grinned.

"You're so crazy," she laughed. "Yes, I'll have your baby, Chandler."


	2. It's Just Not Normal

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The Gift

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Chapter Two - It's Just Not Normal

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Monica said to herself as she sat, alone, on the examining table in her doctor's office. She and Chandler had spent the last three months discussing the whole situation, going through numerous doctor's appointments, and coming to terms with the fact that they were actually going to have a baby together. Now, after everything had been sorted out and they were truly ready to go through with it, it was the day that they had been waiting for.

Monica literally twiddled her thumbs as she sat there, waiting impatiently. She thought it was her doctor when there was a knock on the door and someone entered.

"Chandler," she said, a little surprised. "I thought you were at work. I mean, haven't you already...done your part?" she blushed.

"I was, and I have," he replied, also blushing a little. "But I didn't want to miss this." She smiled weakly at him, and he began to wonder if coming was such a good idea. "Do you want me to leave? I won't stay if you're uncomfortable with me in here when they start the procedure. I just thought I should be here for you - for moral support, I guess."

"I'm glad you came," she said quietly, with tears beginning to flow down her cheeks. "I wanted you to be here."

"Hey, I'll always be here for you," he promised and took her hand in his. "Anything you need, all you've got to do is ask." He gently wiped away her tears and kissed her forehead. "Please don't cry, Mon. I hate to see you upset."

"I'm not upset. I'm just so scared, Chandler," she finally admitted. "This is it. In a few minutes, I could be pregnant. I've always wanted it - and I still do - but it's a scary thought."

"Are you sure you want to do this? It's not too late to back out if you've changed your mind," Chandler reminded her. "I want this, Monica, but you're the one who has to go through the pregnancy and the delivery. I'm basically just sitting on the sidelines while you suffer," he laughed lightly.

"I _do_ want this. I really do. It's just... I don't know. It seems so clinical. Please don't take this the wrong way, Chandler, but I thought that I'd be doing this with someone I was in love with - someone I was going to spend the rest of my life with. I love you, Chandler, but I'm not _in_ love with you."

"I know," he said quietly. "If you don't think it's right, Mon, you don't have to do it. I don't want you to regret this in any way. I'm sure you'll find the man of your dreams out there somewhere, and you deserve that. Maybe you should just wait for him to have a baby."

Monica couldn't help but notice the hint of sadness in his voice. He really did want this. Over the past couple of months, she'd had doubts in the back of her mind about the whole situation. The look in his eyes and the tone of his voice at that very moment told her that she could push her doubts aside. "Who needs a dream guy? I'll stick with you," she teased and brushed a few more tears from her cheek. "I'm kidding, Chandler. You're going to make some woman very happy someday... But until then, what do you say about having a baby with me?"

He immediately brightened up and hugged her tightly. "I wouldn't mind making _you_ happy, Mon," he whispered.

She didn't speak for a moment, then gently pushed him away to look into his eyes. "You _are_ making me happy," she said quietly.

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Knock! Knock!

"Are we ready to get started?" Dr. Collins asked when she entered the room.

Monica looked up at Chandler, then reached out to take his hand. "Yeah. We're ready."

==========

"I can't believe you're doing this," Ross said for what must have been the millionth time since Monica and Chandler had told them about their plan to have a baby together.

"Ross, stop being such a baby. I think it's sweet," Rachel responded and smiled over at Chandler and Monica who were sitting together in the armchair in the living room of Monica's apartment.

"Good things will come of this," Phoebe added knowingly.

"So when are you gonna know if...well, if it worked?" Joey asked curiously. "It was three days ago, right?"

"Yeah," Monica replied. "I went in for some tests this morning. The doctor said it could still be early, but I couldn't wait any longer. And Chandler wouldn't let me take a pregnancy test." She glared at him.

"I'm sorry. I just didn't want to see a negative result, be disappointed, and then find out that it was wrong. That's too much to worry about," he reasoned.

"And this isn't?" she asked, referring to the waiting. "I can't stand not knowing."

"They're supposed to call soon," he reminded her. "Just be patient."

__

Ring!

"The phone!" Chandler exclaimed and watched as Monica jumped up from the chair to answer it.

"Hello?" she said excitedly. "Yes, this is Monica Geller...Right...Really? Are you sure about that? I mean, I...Yes, I understand that...Okay...I will...Thank you." She hung up the phone and sat back down with Chandler.

"Well? Was it the doctor?" he asked anxiously. He couldn't quite read her expression. "What did she say?"

  
"She said that I'm not pregnant," Monica replied quietly.

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry," Rachel said and got up to hug her friend.

"I thought you said good things were gonna happen, Pheebs," Joey complained.

"I did. And I'm never wrong," Phoebe defended herself.

"Well, it's still early, right?" Chandler asked. "I mean, that doesn't mean you won't _be_ pregnant, right Pheebs? You did this once."

"You're right," she replied. "It could still happen, Mon. Don't worry about it."

"You're right," Monica sighed. "Guess I just have to wait a little longer, huh? I've waited for forty years. Might as well keep it up," she said and leaned against Chandler. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"Screw in vitro fertilization," Phoebe said as she stood. "You guys might as well just go ahead and do it yourselves. You two act like a couple all the time anyway. You might as well go ahead and try out the sex. You might like it," she grinned and walked out the door.

"Hey, Pheebs!" Joey called, rushing out the door behind her. "Wanna come over to my place? We can try out the sex, too!"

"Okay, sex, Chandler, and my sister just don't do anything for me. Let's go, Rach," Ross said and held out his hand for his wife. "We have to pick up the baby anyway." As they were walking out the door, he stopped and turned back to Chandler. "You'd better not listen to Phoebe," he warned and shut the door as he left.

Chandler looked down at Monica who was beginning to cry into his chest. "Hey. What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"Do you really have to ask?" she responded. "I'm not pregnant, Chandler. I really can't do anything right, can I?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, unsure about what she was referring to.

"I'm forty years old, Chandler, and I haven't done anything with my life. I'm just a chef. That's it. Not a wife, not a mother. I can't find a man to spend my life with, and now I can't even get pregnant. I can't do anything right."

"Monica, don't say that. First of all, it's still early. You could be pregnant. Just give it a little more time. Secondly, you've done a lot with your life. Look at all the people who love you, Mon. That's all that really matters."

==========

Two weeks later, Monica was still not pregnant, and the doctor had informed her that she wouldn't be this time around. She and Chandler were still trying to decide what to do next.

"Maybe we should just drop the whole thing," Monica sighed. "I guess it just wasn't meant for us to have a baby together."

"Don't say that," Chandler responded. "We'd make great parents together. Let's try it one more time," he insisted.

"Chandler, this is really expensive. Do you really want to put up that much money for another failure? Even if it _did_ work, we'd both be broke. We wouldn't be able to raise the baby after that."

He was silent for a moment, as if he were thinking about something important. "Maybe we should take Phoebe's advice," he suggested.

"Phoebe's advice? What are you -? Oh..." Monica looked shocked.

"Sorry. Shouldn't have said _that_," Chandler laughed nervously. He had only been half serious. It was supposed to be a joke.

"No, Chandler. It's just... That's a really big deal. Even bigger than having a baby together."

"I know... But if we're going to have a baby together, we're going to have to make one. Why not do it the normal way?"

"That's what I mean. It's just not normal," she answered. "I think you're losing it, Chandler."

"Come on. It's just me." He was teasing, but a part of him really wouldn't have objected to the whole thing.

She hesitated before answering. "Okay. Let's do it."

"What?!" he exclaimed. He certainly hadn't expected her to agree.

"Hey! You're the one that brought the whole thing up," she reminded him. She got up from her spot on the couch and sat down with him in the armchair. "Come on, Chandler. It wouldn't kill you, would it?"

"Are you seriously saying that you would have sex with me?"

"Why not?" she said quietly and slowly leaned in to place a gentle kiss on his lips. She was surprised when he returned the kiss.

He couldn't believe what they were doing. "Are you drunk?"

"No," she responded. "Completely sober... Wanna go to my room?" she asked nervously.

"What?"

"Do you want to go to my room? The bed would be much more comfortable than this chair or the couch, trust me."

"Monica, are you sure you want to do this? I want you to be absolutely positive," he said.

"I am," she assured him. "Do _you_ want to do this?" she asked.

"I've wanted to make love to you for a long time," he admitted and kissed her again.

"Really?" she asked between kisses.

"Absolutely," he whispered and kissed her again. He was a little surprised when she pushed him away.

"I can't do this," she sighed and jumped up from her spot on his lap.

"Oh... Okay," Chandler said, disappointed. "I understand."

"It's just too weird, Chandler. We can't. We can't do this... Let's try the in vitro one more time, and see what happens."

"All right. That sounds like a good plan," he agreed. "Um... I should probably get going. Leave you alone for awhile."

"Okay," Monica replied and followed him as he walked to the door. "Chandler."

He stopped and turned to face her. "Yeah?"

She walked over to meet him and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you for understanding - and for being such a wonderful friend."

"No problem," he smiled. "Anything for you, Mon."


	3. A Confession and a Revelation

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The Gift

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Chapter Three - A Confession and a Revelation

"Chandler?" Monica called as she entered the guys' apartment a few weeks later. Joey was nowhere to be found. Monica had noticed recently that he and Phoebe had been spending a lot of time together. Maybe they had gone out.

She forced herself to stop wondering about Joey and Phoebe and walked over to Chandler's bedroom door. She knocked lightly but, when there was no answer, slowly pushed the door open. Chandler was lying on his bed in a t-shirt and boxer shorts, staring up at the ceiling, oblivious to the world around him.

"Chandler? You okay?" Monica asked softly as she walked into the room.

He sat up quickly and Monica could see that he had been crying. His eyes were still wet from his tears, but he smiled at her. "I'm fine," he lied and moved over on the bed so she could sit down.

"You don't _look_ fine," she said and reached over to wipe a single tear from his cheek. He immediately wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, obviously embarrassed to have been found in this state. "Sweetie, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly. She'd never seen him like this.

"Nothing, Mon. I'm fine," he lied again.

"Chandler, I know you better than anyone, and I can tell that you're lying, so you might as well go ahead and tell me the truth."

"I'm just feeling sorry for myself, I guess. Maybe it's a mid-life crisis," he joked and smiled at her.

"Come on. It's got to be more than that. I don't think I've ever seen you like this, Chandler, and I've known you for half of my life."

"Well... Have you ever wanted something so much that it physically hurt because you couldn't have it?" She nodded, and he continued. "That's it. I keep trying to tell myself that it'll never happen, that I should stop thinking about it, but my brain, or my heart - one of those organs - just won't listen to reason."

"I know how you feel," she sighed. She reached over to put her arm around him and rub his back. "You'll be fine, sweetie."

"Thanks," he laughed lightly. "I feel like we should sit up all night painting our fingernails and having pillow fights in our pajamas now," he teased. "So... Not that I'm complaining, but what are you doing here?"

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot," she responded. "Well... I know that my doctor's appointment is tomorrow afternoon, but I'm just too anxious. I bought a home pregnancy test, and I really want to take it, but I didn't want to do it unless you were okay with it."

He could see how much she wanted to do this, so he gave in. "All right. But please don't be disappointed if it's negative. These things aren't always accurate."

"I know," she smiled. "The test is in my bathroom. Come on over," she urged and led him across the hall.

"So how long do we have to wait?" Chandler called through the bathroom door a few minutes later.

"I haven't finished yet," she answered. "I can't do this with you standing outside the door. Go sit down," she ordered.

"Sorry," he said quietly and walked over to sit down on the couch.

A few minutes later, Monica returned from the bathroom and joined Chandler on the couch. "Three minutes," she said and felt him take her hand in his.

They sat in silence for the next three minutes until the timer Monica had set went off. "This is it," Monica said as she stood and walked toward the bathroom. "I can't do it, Chandler. You look. Please," she pleaded.

"Sure," he responded and walked into the bathroom to pick up the test from the sink. Monica was standing in the doorway to the bathroom. "Uh, Mon? What exactly am I looking for?" he asked.

"Two lines means I'm pregnant, one means I'm not," she answered.

"Well..." He put the test back on the sink and walked over to take her into his arms. "I guess that means we're having a baby," he whispered as he held her close to him.

She pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. "Really? I'm pregnant?" she asked in total disbelief.

"Yeah. Look for yourself," he urged and reached over to the sink to pick up the test.

She took the test from him and stared at it. "I really am," she said quietly as the tears started to flow freely down her cheeks. "I'm pregnant!" she exclaimed.

"Congratulations," Chandler smiled at her. "You're gonna be a mom."

She returned his smile and wiped away a few of her tears. "Congratulations to you, too. You're gonna be a dad."

"Chandler Bing. A dad. Hard to believe, huh?" he teased and embraced her again. "Thank you. Thank you so much, Monica."

"No, thank _you_, Chandler."

"So... I guess we don't have to worry about doing it ourselves anymore, huh?" Chandler said after a few minutes had passed without either of them speaking. They were just standing there, right outside Monica's bathroom door, holding each other.

"Yeah, I guess not," Monica replied. She pulled away from him, took his hand, and led him over to the couch. "Chandler, about that. I -"

"No, Mon. You don't have to say anything. I never should have brought it up."

"It's not that. It's just that I think when I said no you might have taken it the wrong way... It's not that I don't find you attractive. I do. But it's _you_, you know?"

"Yeah. Never thought about me that way, right?"

"Exactly. How'd you know?" she asked.

"I just did," he smiled. "I kind of figured it out when you changed your mind so quickly that night."

"That's not all it is, Chandler. You..." She wasn't quite sure how to bring this up, but she knew that she had to. She had to know. "You said that you've wanted to make love to me for a long time," she said quietly.

"Right. Does that surprise you?"

"Of course it does. I hadn't expected to hear that from you."

"Monica, you're a beautiful, intelligent, wonderful woman. Any man in his right mind would want to make love to you."

"So _that's_ it," she said quietly. "You just wanted to get me into bed."

"No, no, no," he quickly assured her. "It's more than that." He stopped, trying to find the right words to say what he knew he needed to say. "Remember earlier when I said that there was something that I wanted so badly it hurt?" She nodded. "I want _you_, Monica."

"What?" she asked, shocked. "You were crying for _me_?"

He simply nodded and took a deep breath. "We've been friends for years, but lately I've wondered if there could ever be more. And now, you're having my baby," he smiled and placed his hand over her stomach. "I know that we may never be together, but knowing that my child is also yours gives me a little something."

"Is that why you offered to have a baby with me?"

"Not really... When I made that offer fifteen years ago, I had no idea that it would actually happen. I was sure that you'd be happily married with a house full of kids by now."

"Yeah, me too," she laughed.

"But when I asked you again a few months ago, I did it because I wanted both of us to be happy. I knew that you wanted a baby, and I had finally realized that I did, too. The fact that I would be sharing the best part of my life with you just made it even better."

Monica just stared at him, amazed that she was actually hearing this from him. She'd always seen Chandler as her best friend. He was the guy who could make her laugh when she felt like crying. She'd never looked at him as a romantic man, but he certainly sounded like one at the moment. "You're so sweet," she finally said and hugged him tightly.

"Yeah, I know," he teased. "It's pretty late. I guess I should just go and let you get your rest. You _are_ sleeping for two now," he smiled and kissed her cheek when he stood to leave.

"Chandler, don't go," she said, taking his hand and pulling him back onto the couch with her. "I don't want to be alone right now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah... I want you to be here. I just found out that I'm having your baby. I want to spend a little more time with you," she smiled.

"Okay," he said and pulled her into his arms. "I can't believe you're having my baby," he whispered.

"Pretty incredible, isn't it?" Monica replied quietly. "I was starting to wonder if I would ever have this feeling."

"What feeling?" Chandler asked.

"The feeling of knowing that there's another life growing inside of me."

He just smiled to himself and hugged her a little tighter. "You're an incredible woman, Monica Geller," he said quietly and kissed the top of her head.

"You're not so bad yourself, Chandler Bing," she whispered in reply. "Chandler?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you stay here tonight? I just... I want you to hold me." She wasn't sure if this was the best idea since he'd confessed his feelings for her just minutes ago, but she knew that she wanted to be close to him. She needed him to be there for her, just like he'd been there so many times before.

"Anything you want, Mon," he answered, unable to say no to her.

"Thank you." She got up from the couch and kissed his forehead. "I'm just gonna change. Be right back," she said before retreating to her bedroom.

When she closed the door behind her, Chandler leaned back against the couch and sighed loudly. He knew that every second he spent with her just made it harder for him to admit to himself that he couldn't have her. She'd never really want him - not in _that_ way. But, for now, he'd have to settle for being the father of her child. If one could call that settling. He smiled to himself, imagining what the baby would look like. He hoped that it had her eyes. He loved her eyes.

Monica opened the bedroom door, dressed in her pajamas, and walked over to Chandler. She took his hand as he stood up. "Chandler, if you don't want to stay, you don't have to. If you're uncomfortable with this, I -"

"I _want_ to, Monica," he reassured her. "You're having my baby. I'd do anything for you."

She smiled at him. "Yeah, but I don't want you to stay just because I'm needy. I'll be fine by myself."

"Come on, Monica. Let's go to bed," he smiled and allowed her to lead him to her bedroom.

She crawled under the covers and made room for him on the other side of the bed. He laid on top of the blankets and reached over to put his hand on her stomach.

"Get under the covers, Chandler. You'll freeze to death," she warned.  


"No, I'm fine," he replied.

"Come on. I trust you not to make a move on the pregnant lady beside you," she teased and helped him pull the blankets back.

"There's a pregnant lady in here?" he teased and crawled under the covers.

"I certainly hope so." Suddenly, Monica realized something important. "Chandler, what if the test was wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"It's not. I have a good feeling about this, Monica. You're definitely pregnant," he tried to convince her.

"Yeah... Pregnant..."


	4. What Are We Gonna Do?

A/N - Thank you very much for all of your reviews. I'm really glad you're enjoying this, and I hope you'll still enjoy when you read the next few chapters... lol Please let me know what you think.

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The Gift

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Chapter Four - What Are We Gonna Do?

Chandler woke up early the next morning and glanced around the room, his eyes finally landing on the beautiful woman lying next to him. He watched her as she slept soundly beside him. He noticed that his hand was still resting on her stomach and he moved it slowly, amazed that his baby was growing inside of her. Of all the women in the world, he knew that she was the only one that he wanted to carry his baby. And after last night, he knew that things could easily be awkward between them. He had finally admitted that he wanted her, and she hadn't laughed in his face. She hadn't really had much of a reaction at all - shock, of course, but nothing like he had expected. He wasn't sure what to do about anything now.

Monica stirred and Chandler removed his hand from her stomach. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him, forgetting for a moment why he was in bed with her. When she cleared her mind, she smiled at him. "Good morning," she said quietly.

"Good morning," he replied. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah. Very well," she responded and moved her hands to her stomach. "I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon. Are you going?"

"Of course I am. I guess the doctor will do another pregnancy test, huh?"

"Yeah... Chandler, I hope that this isn't just a false alarm, but what if it is? What do we do then?" Monica asked worriedly.

"Monica, I don't think that this is a false alarm, but if it is, we'll just have to think about what to do next. All I know is that I really want to have a baby with you," Chandler smiled at her and reached over to brush her hair away from her face.

She returned his smile and leaned over to kiss his forehead. "You are such a wonderful friend," she whispered. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'll never have to worry about that, Mon, because I'm always going to be there for you. I promise."

==========

"What is taking so long?" Chandler asked impatiently as he paced around the examining room he and Monica were waiting in.

"Chandler, just calm down for a few minutes. The doctor will be back soon, I'm sure."

"What if something was wrong? I don't know what I'd do if something was wrong with you, Mon."

"Chandler, you're freaking me out. I'm fine. These appointments always take forever. Trust me." She wasn't sure if she was trying to convince Chandler or herself.

A few agonizing seconds later, the doctor lightly knocked on the door and entered the room. "Hello, Monica," the woman smiled, looking up from the chart she was holding only for a moment. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Just a little anxious," she replied. "So, was the home pregnancy test right? Am I really pregnant?" She wasn't going to wait around for the doctor.

"Yes, you're definitely pregnant," the doctor replied. "Congratulations."

Monica looked up at Chandler with tears in her eyes. "We're having a baby," she whispered as he took her hand in his.

He smiled slightly and looked back to the doctor. "Is she okay?" For some strange reason, he had a bad feeling about the whole thing.

The doctor paused before answering. "Let's just finish the exam and make sure," she smiled weakly and turned back to Monica.

==========

Chandler led Monica into her apartment later that afternoon and helped her sit down on the couch. Neither of them were sure how to feel at the moment. The pregnancy was supposed to be good news, but the doctor's accompanying warning certainly wasn't.

"Mon? You okay?" Chandler asked. He knew that she wasn't, but he had to ask. He needed to do something for her.

"Yeah, I... I'll be fine," she answered rather unconvincingly. "I just have to be careful, right?"

"Right. Just do the best you can, and everything will be fine. I'll be here to help. You don't have a thing to worry about." He tilted her chin up so her eyes met his. "Nothing's gonna go wrong, Mon."

She wiped a tear from her cheek and tried to smile at him. It was a half smile, but it was the best she could manage under the circumstances. "Should we tell everyone now or wait a little longer? You know...just in case," she added quietly.

"Tell everyone what?" Joey asked when he entered the apartment, followed by Phoebe.

"Oh! You're pregnant!" Phoebe exclaimed excitedly. "I _knew_ it!"

Monica looked at Chandler, then back at Phoebe, and nodded. "Yeah, I'm pregnant."

"Pregnant?! It worked?!" Rachel exclaimed when she came through the still open door. Ross was close on her heels.

"Yeah, it worked," Chandler replied quietly.

"That's great news, right?" Joey asked. "You two don't seem very excited about it."

"We are, we are," Chandler assured him. "It's just that... Well, the doctor is a little worried about Monica."

"Monica, what's wrong?" Ross asked worriedly, going into "big brother" mode. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine... She just thinks that this could be a difficult pregnancy. I have to be really careful."

"So you're really careful. Everything will be fine, right?" Rachel looked to Chandler.

"Yeah. She'll be fine. It just shook her up a little," he answered and rubbed Monica's shoulders. "And I'm gonna be there the whole time to make sure she's all right. She's gonna be sick of me by the time the baby gets here," he chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

"You should make him bring you breakfast in bed every morning," Phoebe began. "And foot rubs would be nice. Maybe he could do a little of your cleaning."

"Yeah, he might regret getting himself into this," Monica teased, smiling slightly at Chandler.

"I could never regret this," he replied sincerely and placed his hands on her stomach.

She smiled and leaned against him. "You'll be thinking differently when I come knocking on your door at three in the morning because I need you to make an ice cream run."

"Well guys, we just wanted to check on you, but we're gonna go now," Phoebe said, trying to usher the others out of the room. She could see that Chandler and Monica needed some time alone.

"I didn't come to check on her," Joey said, staying put in his spot in the living room. "I mean, I _did_, but I also wanted something to eat. I'm not ready to go, Pheebs."

Phoebe had already managed to push Ross and Rachel into the hallway and she grabbed Joey's arm. "Come on. I'll satisfy your appetite," she whispered and effortlessly pulled him out the door.

"What was that all about?" Chandler laughed when he was alone with Monica again.

"I don't know, but they're acting a little strange," Monica replied and stood up to walk over to the kitchen. She took two bottles of water from the refrigerator, then walked over to hand one to Chandler. She sat down in the armchair and looked at Chandler thoughtfully.

Chandler took a drink from the bottle and saw that Monica was looking at him strangely. "What is it?" he asked.

"I'm sorry. I just... I think that we should talk."

"About what?" he asked. "The baby?" He knew that she was most likely referring to his confession the night before, but he didn't want to jump to any conclusions. He wanted to avoid that conversation at the moment.

"No, not the baby. About what you told me last night."

"Oh. That," Chandler said quietly. "Listen, Mon. Just forget that I ever said anything. You don't need to worry about that, okay?"

"Chandler, I can't just forget about it. This is big," she replied. She really needed to know what was going on in his head.

He sighed and took her hand. "Listen, Mon. I care about you. You're one of the most important people in my life. No, you're _the_ most important person in my life. I don't want to ruin what we have because of my silly fantasies."

"Fantasies?"

"Well... Maybe that wasn't the right word," he said. "I _do_ have feelings for you. I don't think any man in his right mind wouldn't have some sort of feelings for you."

"Thank you, Chandler. I'm flattered. But are these feelings more like 'I'd really like to get her into bed' feelings or 'I'd really like to spend my life with her' feelings?"

He hesitated. "Definitely the second one," he answered honestly.

"So can you actually picture us together?" Monica asked curiously. She knew that she had. Since they had decided to have a baby together, she had been picturing them together with their baby. As a family.

"Well, yeah. I'm not going to lie to you, Mon. I would love to have a chance to make you happy for the rest of your life. But I don't want you to feel like you have to do anything about this because I finally admitted my feelings to you. You don't need to worry about anything right now. You're pregnant. You need to take care of yourself and the baby. Just forget about it. Don't worry about this, okay?"

She nodded reluctantly. "Yeah. Okay," she said quietly. "I'll try not to worry about it, Chandler, but I'm not going to be able to forget it. I don't think I want to."

He looked confused. "You don't want to? What do you mean?"

"Well, we're having a baby together now, and it's kind of nice to know that the father of my child thinks of me that way."

"I'm glad... Just don't let this stress you out, okay? You know what the doctor said. Just take it easy... We're gonna be fine. No matter what happens, I'm always going to be here for you - and the baby. I promise."

"But what if -"

"Shh... Don't worry about it, Mon. Why don't you go and lie down for awhile? I'll come back to check on you later tonight."

"Okay," she agreed reluctantly. "I don't want things to be weird with us, okay? Maybe... I don't know. Maybe I'll know what I want to say after a nap," she smiled weakly. "I'll be expecting you later."

"I'll be here," he assured her and kissed her forehead gently. "Have a nice nap," he called as he left the apartment.

Monica sighed before getting up from the couch and walking into her room. She pulled back the covers and crawled into bed. She wasn't sure if she would be able to sleep, but she was exhausted. When she put her head on her pillow, she glanced over at the other side of the bed - the side that Chandler had slept on the night before. She pulled the other pillow to her and could still smell him. "Oh, Chandler... What are we gonna do?"


	5. The Beginning and the End

A/N - Thanks again for your reviews. And now, on with chapter five...

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The Gift

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Chapter Five - The Beginning and the End

Chandler walked across the hall to Monica's apartment a couple of hours later, just as he had promised. When he saw that she wasn't in the living room, he headed over to her slightly ajar bedroom door, knocked lightly, and walked in.

She was still sleeping, clutching a pillow to her chest. He smiled at how peaceful she looked and walked a little closer to the bed. "Mon?" he said quietly.

She stirred a little and opened her eyes. "Hey," she replied in a whisper.

"Have a nice nap?"

"Yeah." She sat up on the edge of the bed. "I feel much better now," she smiled slightly.

"I'm glad... Listen, I thought maybe we could order a pizza or something. I didn't think you'd feel like doing much of anything else tonight, but the guys are over at Ross and Rachel's, if you'd rather go over there."

"No. Pizza sounds good to me," she smiled. "It'll give us a chance to talk about some things."

He looked a little confused, but nodded anyway. "I'll go call the pizza place," Chandler said before turning to exit the bedroom.

"I'll be out in a minute," she called after him. She returned her head to her pillow and sighed. She'd only managed to sleep for the last half hour. The rest of the time she'd thought about what she and Chandler were going to do. They were having a baby together, and she couldn't be happier about it, but she felt like something was missing. She and Chandler were very close; they were best friends. But they weren't a couple. Monica had always thought that when she had a child, it would be with the man she loved - her other half. And since Chandler had told her about his feelings, she was starting to wonder if he might be the missing piece of the puzzle.

She entered the living room just as Chandler was hanging up the telephone.

"Pepperoni and extra cheese. Is that okay?" he asked as he watched her sit down in the armchair.

"That's great," she replied. Chandler sat down on the couch and simply smiled at her. She returned his smile with one of her own, and they were both silent for a moment. Monica finally broke the silence. "We have to talk about this, Chandler. I can't stop thinking about it."

"I'm sorry. I wish I hadn't told you," he said quietly. "This is gonna make things awkward between us, isn't it?"

"No, Chandler. It doesn't have to," she assured him. "I was just thinking about it... About me and you... Maybe we could give it a shot."

He looked at her, completely shocked. "What? Me and you? Monica, you've got to be kidding me."

"No, I'm absolutely serious," she said. "Besides, I thought you'd like the idea."

"I do, Mon, but you deserve so much better. You shouldn't settle for me. There's someone out there for you, and I know that you're going to find him someday."

"But what if I already have? What if the man I've been looking for has been right in front of my face the whole time? We're having a baby together. That alone is enough of a reason for us to be together."

"No, it's not... I don't want you to get hurt, and if we started dating, I'm so afraid that I would hurt you, and I would never want to do that to you. And think about the baby. If we tried this and it didn't work out, what would we do about the baby?"

"But what if we tried this and it _did_ work out? Then we'd be a family. You, me, and _our_ baby. It's perfect, Chandler."

He put his head in his hands, then looked back up at her. "_That's_ it," he sighed. "You just want a perfect family... Monica, we don't have to be together for this to be the perfect family. I know that you're going to be a perfect mother, and I'm going to do my best to be a perfect father. That's all this kid needs... And I thought we'd already been through this once."

Monica didn't answer for a minute, trying to think of what to say to him to make him understand. "I know that we agreed that our baby would have a wonderful life, even without his or her parents being together. I'm sure that he or she will. But what about me, Chandler? Have you ever thought about what _I_ might want?"

"What do you want, Monica?" he asked quietly.

"I want to try this," she answered, gesturing to the two of them. "I want to see if there's something here."

He was quiet for a few minutes, obviously weighing the pros and cons in his head. She waited patiently for his answer.

"Okay," he finally agreed. "Let's try this. But I don't want us to force ourselves to be together just for the sake of the baby. And I don't want us to drift apart if it doesn't work out. I can't lose you, Monica. Promise me that I won't lose you, no matter what happens... Just promise me that."

"You'll never lose me," she promised him and leaned over to hug him.

==========

A week later, Monica was waiting impatiently in her apartment for Chandler to arrive. They were finally going on their first official date, and she didn't want him to be late. He had exactly two minutes before she was going across the hall to drag him over.

With thirty seconds to spare, Chandler arrived at her apartment with a bouquet of colorful flowers. "You look...incredible," he said when he saw her. She was wearing a knee length red dress, and her hair was down, framing her face.

She smiled at him and took the flowers. "Thank you," she said and turned to put them in a vase on the kitchen table. "You didn't have to buy me flowers, Chandler."

"No, but I wanted to," he replied. "I want tonight to be special."

"It will be," she said and grabbed her wrap from the hook on the wall. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah. I'm ready," he said and held out his arm for her. "Let's go."

==========

"Are you sure you feel up to this?" Chandler asked that evening after dinner. They were taking a leisurely walk through Central Park. It was getting late, and he couldn't help worrying about Monica.

"I'm fine, Chandler," she answered. He took her hand as they walked through the park. "You don't have to worry so much. I'm pregnant. I'm not deathly ill."

He chuckled and squeezed her hand gently. "I'm sorry. I can't help it. You mean the world to me, and I just want to be sure that you're okay."

"That's very sweet," she smiled over at him. "You know something? This isn't strange at all. I thought it might be, but it's not."

"I know what you mean," he replied. "We haven't really done anything out of the ordinary. We do stuff like this all the time."

"Yeah... Maybe Phoebe was right. We _do_ act like a couple a lot."

"When has Phoebe ever been wrong?" he teased. "You know, I've really had fun tonight," he said sincerely. "You're a great date."

"I know," she teased. "Honestly, Chandler, I've had a wonderful time. You're a pretty good date, too."

"Just pretty good?"

"Okay. You're better than 'pretty good.' You're the best date I've had in a long time. I actually _like_ being with you," she laughed.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he smiled and continued to walk with her through the park. "You know, I think this could be the beginning of something special," he added and smiled over at her. She returned his smile and squeezed his hand gently. They continued to walk in silence for a few minutes before Monica stopped suddenly.

"Chandler," she said quietly.

"What? What is it?" he asked worriedly. "Are you okay? Is it the baby?" He'd never seen that look on her face, and he wished that he wasn't seeing it at that moment. It scared him.

She clutched her stomach and leaned into his arms. "I can't lose this baby," she cried quietly. "Get me to a hospital."

==========

Almost two hours later, Chandler was still sitting in the waiting room of the hospital. The doctors hadn't told him anything about Monica or the baby. He was more scared than he had ever been in his life. Once he had gotten Monica to the emergency room, he had called Ross to tell him what was going on. Ross had arrived not long after the phone call, with Rachel in tow. They had left the baby with a baby-sitter. Joey and Phoebe arrived a little later, and they were all sitting with him, trying to comfort him... But Chandler had never felt more alone.

"Chandler Bing?"

Chandler jumped up when he heard the doctor say his name. "That's me. How is she?" he asked anxiously.

"Ms. Geller is going to be fine," the doctor replied simply. 

The entire gang breathed a collective sigh of relief. "Thank God," Chandler whispered. "And the baby?"

The doctor hesitated before he answered quietly. "I'm sorry."

"No," Chandler said as he allowed himself to sink into a nearby chair. He buried his face in his hands. "This can't be happening," he said quietly. "It can't be."

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Bing," the doctor said again. "Ms. Geller is sleeping, but you can go back to see her if you'd like."

Chandler looked up at him. "Does she know?"

The older gentleman shook his head. "No. She doesn't know yet."

Chandler nodded and stood. "I need to see her."

==========

A/N - Definitely not the happiest ending to a chapter, but there's more to come. Please let me know what you thought, good or bad.


	6. A Reason for Everything

A/N - Thanks again for your reviews. Sorry the last chapter was so sad. Someone said something in a review about making this have a happy ending... I once had a conversation with a friend who said that he actually _liked_ sad endings - not because they were sad, but because they made the reader (or the viewer, when it comes to television or movies) see that everything's not always perfect, and that the characters have some problems that just can't be fixed. My view on the subject? Well... Let's just say that I didn't _completely_ agree with him...

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****

The Gift

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Chapter Six - A Reason for Everything

Chandler walked into Monica's hospital room and was surprised to see that her eyes were open. He walked over to the bed and took her hand in his, fighting back the tears that he knew were going to come.

"Chandler?" she said quietly. "What's wrong?" As soon as she asked the question, she knew. "No," she said quietly, allowing the tears to flow freely. She moved her hand to her stomach. "No."

"I'm so sorry," he whispered and sat down in the chair beside her bed. He couldn't stand on his own anymore. He just wasn't strong enough. "The uh... The baby didn't make it." He finally allowed his tears to fall and squeezed her hand.

She just looked at him through tears and reached over to touch his cheek gently. "This can't be happening," she said quietly. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

"I know," he replied, wiping away his own tears. "We'll get through this, okay? You're gonna be fine," he said rather unconvincingly. He knew that he should be trying to ease her pain, but he didn't know how. He didn't know how to ease his _own_ pain. What was he going to do for a woman who had just lost a baby?

His statement just caused Monica's tears to come faster. He immediately got up from his chair and sat on the edge of her bed. He pulled her into his arms and held her close to him, wishing that there was something - anything - that he could do to make it all go away. She let him hold her for what seemed like an eternity as she cried until there were no tears left to cry.

==========

Soon Monica was at home again, trying to recover from the miscarriage. Rachel and Phoebe had been especially eager to help her in any way they could, but nothing seemed to ease the pain. Ross did his best to be there for her, but seeing his little sister in her condition was killing him. Joey, although he wanted to help, was trying to avoid both Monica and Chandler as much as he could manage. He had no idea what he was supposed to do to make it better. No one did.

Chandler spent a lot of time in Monica's apartment, although neither of them had much to say to each other. Most of their time together was spent wrapped in each other's arms, crying over the loss of their child. He wished with all of his heart that there was something he could do for her. If only there were some way to turn back time. He was blaming himself for the whole thing. It had been his idea to even start the whole baby fiasco, and he was feeling extremely guilty. He shouldn't have done this to her. She was dying inside because of his stupid suggestion. It shouldn't have happened. It shouldn't have been that way.

"Monica?" he called when he entered the apartment one week after the miscarriage. She exited her bedroom in a bathrobe. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. She walked over to meet him in the living room and wrapped her arms around his waist.

He kissed the top of her head before she pulled away to look up at him. He brushed her hair away from her tear stained cheeks and kissed her forehead gently. "If there's _anything_ I can do, Mon... Please. Just tell me," he said quietly.

"Unless you can bring our baby back, I don't think there's anything you can do, Chandler," she replied, trying not to start crying again.

He led her over to the couch where they sat down together, with Monica's head resting on Chandler's shoulder. "I wish I could bring the baby back, Monica, but I can't. And you can't. Nobody can bring him back."

"Him?" she questioned after a moment's hesitation.

"I didn't want to say 'it,'" he answered simply. "And I think we would have had a boy."

Monica lifted her head to look at him and could see that he was getting teary-eyed again. "Chandler, I know that you're hurting, too... And I want to help you but... I don't think I'm strong enough," she said, her voice cracking. "I _know_ I'm not strong enough."

"It's okay," he whispered and pulled her to him again, stroking her hair tenderly. "We can lean on each other."

"Can we talk about it? I think I need to talk about it," Monica said quietly, still resting in Chandler's arms.

"I think we both need to talk about it," he agreed. He inhaled deeply before he started. "Monica, I loved that baby. I know he was brand new, but I already loved him." He used the back of his hand to wipe away his tears.

"I did too," Monica sniffed. "That was my child - _our_ child," she corrected herself. "It doesn't matter that he only existed for a couple of weeks. He was our baby."

"I wanted to be the perfect dad. I wanted to make up for my own childhood... I wanted this baby to be the happiest kid on the face of this planet..."

"I wanted to see him," Monica sobbed. "We didn't even get to see a sonogram."

"I wanted to see you pregnant. You... You already had that glow," he said quietly, not even bothering to wipe away his tears anymore.

"I didn't get to feel him kick. I wanted to know that there was really a baby in there... I _knew_, but... I just wanted to know." She knew that she wasn't making sense anymore.

But Chandler understood. "I'm so sorry, Mon," he cried. "I shouldn't have put you through this. I hate knowing that I did this to you."

"Chandler, you didn't," Monica tried to assure him. She pulled away from him so she could look into his eyes. "Don't blame yourself for this. I wanted that baby just as much as you did. You didn't force me to carry your baby. I wanted to. It... It wasn't your fault," she said through tears. "It was mine."

"No. No, Monica, I'm not going to let you blame yourself for this. It certainly wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done."

"Yes there was," she said quietly. "I... I hadn't been feeling well that night. But I was having such a good time with you, I... I just thought it would pass. I should have made you take me to the hospital sooner... I should have done _something_... I just didn't think I was going to lose the baby."

"Of course you didn't," he tried to soothe her. "Monica, there's no way you could have known. The doctor said that there was nothing that could have been done."

"But what if -"

"Wait. We can't do this," Chandler interrupted, the realization finally hitting him. "There can't be any 'what ifs,' Mon. That's not going to change anything. We lost a child. But we can get through this... We just have to help each other through it. We can't change the past, but maybe... Maybe this was something to set us on the right path for the future... People say that there's a reason for everything that happens."

Monica looked at him, still crying, and spoke quietly. "There had better be a really good reason behind this one, Chandler."

==========

Nearly three months after the miscarriage, things were slowly starting to return to normal - well, as close to normal as anyone could manage. Monica and Chandler were still spending a lot of time together, although they had made a mutual silent agreement that they wouldn't try dating at the moment. That could wait. They were still mourning the loss of their child. The others were being extremely supportive of both of them, trying to help them through the most difficult thing any of them had ever had to deal with.

Monica walked over to Joey and Chandler's apartment late one afternoon and entered after quickly knocking on the door. "Hey," she said when she saw Chandler standing in the kitchen, rummaging through a drawer. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for the Chinese take-out number. Joey's out tonight, so I thought I'd spend some quality time with some Chinese food and the television," he joked.

"Oh, really?" she smiled. "Actually I came over to see if you wanted to have dinner with me. I made lasagna."

"Well, let me think about this. Chinese food with the television or homemade lasagna with you. Hmm... I think I'll take what's behind door number two," he grinned.

"Good. I could use the company," she replied. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah," he smiled and followed her over to her apartment. "This smells a lot better than any Chinese food," he said once they were inside. "Of course I wouldn't expect any less from you," he added.

"Well, they do pay me to cook well. I would hope I could handle it," she teased. She put an extra plate of lasagna on the table where he was sitting and sat down across from him. They ate in silence for a few minutes before Monica spoke again. "Chandler, I think I'm ready for us to try again."

He almost choked on his food before he looked up at her. "Excuse me?" he asked after swallowing hard.

"To try _us_," she responded. "I'm not ready to try for another baby. I just couldn't handle it right now if..." She trailed off, knowing that he wasn't ready for that either.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "Are you sure you're ready, Mon? I don't want there to be any pressure on you to do anything about this right now. I'll wait forever for you, you know."

She smiled at him and reached across the table to take his hand. "I know," she said. "But I don't want to wait forever."

He smiled brightly at her statement, then realized something that he hadn't even thought about since the miscarriage. His smile quickly turned into a frown.

"What? What is it?" Monica asked worriedly. "Don't you want to do this anymore?"

"Of course I want to. It's just... _You_ didn't want to until you were pregnant. Are you sure that you _really_ want to do this?"

"Yes, Chandler. I didn't just consider it because I was pregnant. You're a great guy. I've always known that. I just hadn't thought of you in that way until you told me how you felt about me." She paused, wondering if she should tell him what she'd been thinking about since the miscarriage. "Chandler, about that night," she began quietly. "I wasn't sure if I should tell you this, but I guess I should... It was the best and worst night of my life, if that's even possible," she admitted. "I mean, before everything took a turn for the worse, I realized that I felt a connection with you that hadn't been there before. Or maybe it's been there all along and, because of our friendship, I just didn't want to feel it. I really want this, Chandler. I just want to give it a chance."

"Me too," he smiled. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. "I want that more than anything."


	7. A Good Night

A/N - Again, thanks for your reviews. This chapter is titled "A Good Night," so I don't think it will be _too_ depressing... Please let me know what you think.

The Gift

__

Chapter Seven - A Good Night

A few days later, Monica and Chandler had their second date. Chandler purposefully avoided the restaurant that they had been to on their first date, as well as Central Park. He took her to a movie and dinner, then walked her home.

"I had a great time tonight," Monica said quietly to Chandler while they stood right inside the door of her apartment.

"So did I," he replied in a whisper. "Monica, I really want to kiss you right now," he added.

"Then kiss me," she smiled up at him and reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. He leaned in to place a tender kiss on her lips, then they both pulled away to look at each other. "Kiss me again," Monica whispered. He leaned in again and kissed her softly at first, then more passionately as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"I should go," he said once the kiss was over.

"You don't have to. You can stay for a little longer," Monica replied.

"No I can't. I have to go," he responded with a grin. "If I don't go now, I don't think I'll be able to go later."

"Okay," she said quietly. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah," he said and kissed her once more. "Good night, Monica."

"Good night, Chandler."

==========

"Hey," Joey said when he heard the door open behind him. He was sitting in his chair, watching some sort of movie on television.

"Hey," Chandler responded as he walked over and took a seat in his own chair.

"How'd the date go?" Joey asked with a mischievous grin on his face.

"It went really well," Chandler smiled back at him. "But nothing happened, if that's what you're thinking. What am I saying? I _know_ that's what you're thinking."

"Not even a kiss?" Joey asked, shocked.

"Well... Yeah. We kissed. But that was it."

Joey became serious for a minute and asked his next question. "So, how are you two doing? With everything that happened, I mean. I know I don't ask about it a lot, but I just don't know what to say."

"That's okay, man," Chandler assured him. "We're pretty good. It still hurts, but... We have to move on, you know? Monica's had it a lot harder than I have. I can still tell that she thinks about it a lot. I do, too, but it was different for her."

"I understand... I'm just glad you guys are doing this. You make a good couple. And with me and Phoebe, that means we're all paired up."

"Whoa. You and Phoebe? You've got to be kidding me," Chandler responded. This was definitely news to him.

"Uh oh. I wasn't supposed to say anything to you guys!" Joey said and stood up, beginning to pace back and forth in front of the television. "Phoebe's gonna kill me!"

"So you're really dating Phoebe?" Chandler asked. Joey stopped and nodded. "When did this happen?"

"A few months ago. We figured it was about time," he grinned.

"So... Are you guys just fooling around, or is this really something?"

"Fooling around? I wouldn't do that to Pheebs," Joey said sincerely. "This is really serious. I think I'm in love with her."

"That's great, Joe," Chandler smiled at him. "So, am I the only one that knows?"

"Yeah... Except for Ross," he added. "And Rachel."

"Is that all?" Chandler laughed. "How about Monica?"

"No. We were planning on telling you guys, too, but then... Well, you know what happened. We didn't want to say anything while you guys were dealing with everything."

"I appreciate that, Joey, but we would have been happy for you. You didn't have to hide it from us."

"I know you would've been happy, but we didn't want to throw that at you. You guys had way too much to worry about."

Chandler simply smiled, thinking about how lucky the six of them were to have each other. "I think I'm gonna go to bed. Night, Joe."

"Yeah. Good night."

==========

__

Ring! Ring!

The phone in Monica's apartment started ringing just minutes after she'd said good night to Chandler. "I'm coming," she said as she walked over to pick up the phone. "Hello?"

"Monica, it's Rach," the voice on the phone answered.

"Hey, Rach. Perfect timing," Monica said as she walked over to the window to look across the street. She saw Rachel standing by her own window, just as Monica had suspected, with baby Rebecca in her arms. She waved and Rachel waved back with a guilty look on her face.

"Sorry. I just had to see how things went," Rachel said as she watched Monica sit down by the window. "Besides, I was up with Rebecca, and I just happened to see your light come on, so I thought I'd give you a call."

"Sure," Monica smiled to herself. "So, go ahead. Ask away."

"You know me too well," Rachel laughed quietly. "Just tell me what happened. Where'd you go? What did you do? Did you have a good time?"

"Well... We went to a movie, then had dinner at this really nice restaurant. I can't remember the name of it, but we'll have to go there for lunch sometime. It was the most delicious meal I've had since -"

"Okay, Mon. I don't need to know about what was on the menu. The important thing is whether or not you guys did anything...special," she grinned.

"We did. We went out on a date and had a really good time," Monica answered simply.

"Oh, come on! Did he kiss you?" she asked excitedly.

"Did who kiss whom?" Ross asked sleepily as he stumbled into the living room.

"Nothing, honey. Just go back to bed," Rachel replied.

Ross walked over to the window and looked out to see Monica waving at him. "Oh. You're getting the gossip on her date with Chandler, huh?" he asked. Rachel nodded. "I don't wanna know right now. Tell me in the morning," he said as he yawned and took the sleeping baby from Rachel. "Good night," he said and kissed his wife's forehead. "Night, Mon," he said into the phone before walking back to the bedroom.

"Okay, he's gone," Rachel said once Ross had shut the bedroom door. "So, did he kiss you or not?"

"Yes, he kissed me," Monica smiled, recalling the kisses they had shared just moments ago. "It was wonderful... But, you know, we've kissed before."

"You have?!" Rachel yelled, shocked.

"Hey! We're tryin' to sleep in here!" Ross called from the bedroom. His shouts were immediately followed by the sound of Rebecca's crying.

"Calm down, Rach. It's no big deal. I thought I told you this already."

"No. I definitely would have remembered that," Rachel replied, much more quietly this time. "When did it happen?"

"Well, it was right after we tried the in vitro for the first time and I didn't get pregnant. Phoebe had suggested that we try it on our own, and -"

"You didn't!" Rachel yelled again.

"Rach!" Ross shouted from the bedroom.

"Sorry, honey," she replied, then went back to her conversation with Monica. "You guys slept together?"

"No!" Monica answered. "We were going to, but I just couldn't do it. But we did kiss. That was nice, too, but I think tonight's kiss was better. I was really ready for it this time."

"So, who initiated it that first time?" Rachel asked curiously.

"Me."

"Are you serious? Wow."

"I know," Monica replied quietly.

"How about tonight? Who initiated the kiss tonight?"

"Well, he told me that he wanted to kiss me, and I told him to do it. That one was just a quick little kiss - and it was nice - but I told him to kiss me again, and that one was...wow," Monica sighed.

"That's wonderful," Rachel said dreamily. "I'm so happy for you guys. Now we're all paired up. It's nice, isn't it?"

"Who's all paired up?" Monica asked, confused.

"The six of us. Me and Ross, you and Chandler, and Joey and Phoebe."

"Joey and Phoebe?! When did that happen?!" It was Monica's turn to be surprised.

"Oh, a few months ago. I wasn't supposed to tell you," Rachel sighed. "They should _know_ not to trust me with a secret for more than a day or two."

"A day or two? I'm surprised if you make it a couple of hours without spilling the beans about everything you know," Monica laughed lightly. "But that's great. About Joey and Phoebe, I mean. I'll have to have her fill me in tomorrow. By the way, why weren't you supposed to tell me? Who else knows?"

"Well... Everybody, except for you and Chandler. We didn't want to bother you guys with that kind of news while you were still dealing with..."

"The miscarriage," Monica finished, the sadness in her voice obvious. "That was really thoughtful, but I could have handled it. I'm happy for them. I would have been happy for them then, too."

"I know, Mon," Rachel said quietly. "But they just didn't want to throw that in your face with all you were going through. You guys had it really rough for awhile there. We were all worried about you, you know."

"Yeah... But we're doing better now. There's nothing we can do to change it, so it's just got to stay in the past. We've got the future to think about," Monica said, beginning to brighten up a little. "And thanks to you guys, each day becomes just a little easier to face."

Rachel smiled. "Well, we'll always be around," she promised. "I guess I should let you get to bed. You've got a sweet dream or two all ready for tonight," she grinned.

"Yeah. Finally," Monica replied, wiping a single tear from her cheek. "Thanks, Rach."

"No problem, honey," she answered and waved through the window again when Monica looked up. "Good night."

"Good night."

==========

A/N - I hope you liked this chapter. It was a little happier, I hope... I know that the Joey and Phoebe thing might be a bit of a stretch for those who don't like the idea of having all six of them paired up, but I like the idea. Please let me know what you thought about the chapter...


	8. One Step At a Time

A/N - Thank you again for your reviews. This chapter is probably my weakest one so far, but I hope you like it. Please let me know what you think.

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The Gift

__

Chapter Eight - One Step At a Time

Monica and Chandler's relationship was still going strong after several weeks of dating. Neither of them had ever enjoyed a relationship as much as they were enjoying being with each other. Since the tragedy in their lives just months earlier, they had put aside the thought of trying to have another baby for the time being. They were content with their lives at the moment. They just wanted to take things one step at a time.

"Hey," Monica smiled at Chandler when he walked into her apartment one evening. "I haven't seen you all day."

"I know. I had to go into work early this morning, and they kept me late tonight. I'm sorry," he apologized as he walked over to her, then placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

He sat down beside her and she cuddled up next to him. Suddenly, they both heard the sounds of a crying baby coming from the extra bedroom.

"What was that?" Chandler asked, confused.

"I'm baby-sitting for Ross and Rachel," Monica informed him. "So we couldn't have done much of anything tonight even if you had been here. I'm going to check on her. Be right back," she said and walked over to the bedroom, emerging moments later with eleven month old Rebecca. "It's Uncle Chandler," she smiled, raised the little girl's arm as if she were waving at him, and sat back down on the couch.

"Hey, Becca," he smiled at her and held out his arms. She immediately did the same, and Chandler took her from Monica.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say she likes you," Monica laughed and watched Chandler making faces at the little girl. "I'm gonna get her bottle," Monica said and walked over to the kitchen.

Chandler got up, still holding the baby, and followed her. He sat down at the kitchen table, watching Monica heat up the baby's bottle. He wasn't sure if he should bring it up, but he couldn't help thinking about how natural it looked. It was as if she were caring for her own child. She would be a perfect mother someday. He only hoped that she would still want him to be her child's father. "Mon?"

"Yeah?" she said, turning back to him and handing the bottle of milk to him and Rebecca.

He helped the baby put it in her mouth and held it there, then looked back up at Monica. "Nevermind," he said quietly.

"No, Chandler. What is it?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing," he smiled at her. "Really. It's nothing."

"Okay," she answered reluctantly. She joined him at the table and watched him with Rebecca. She wasn't sure if she should bring it up, but she couldn't help thinking about how natural it looked. It was as if he were caring for his own child. He would be a perfect father someday. She only hoped that he would still want her to be his child's mother. "Chandler?"

He looked up from the baby in his arms and smiled at her. "Yeah?"

"Do you ever think about the future?" she asked.

"The future? You mean like living in outerspace and taking vacations to the moon every summer?" he teased. "Oh, sure. All the time," he grinned.

She laughed lightly. "You know what I meant. Do you see us," she gestured between the two of them, "going anywhere with this? Do you think it's going to last?" She was almost afraid to hear his answer.

"Oh, Mon, of course I do," he answered sincerely. "Maybe now's not the time, but... I love you. I'm in love with you," he smiled. He noticed the grin creeping across her face. "I want us to be together for a long time, Monica."

"So do I," she said quietly and leaned over to place a tender kiss on his lips. "I love you, too," she whispered.

He smiled brightly and motioned for her to kiss him again. "So, what time are Ross and Rachel supposed to pick Becca up?" he grinned.

She grinned back at him and glanced at her watch. "I'm still on duty for another half hour or so," she answered.

"Okay. I can handle half an hour," he replied. "I'm so lucky to have you."

"I'm the lucky one," she corrected him. "You're an incredible boyfriend, you know."

"Yeah, I know," he teased. He glanced back down at the baby in his arms and saw that she was sleeping. "Do you want me to put her down?" he asked.

"I'll do it," Monica responded and carefully took her out of his arms. "I'll be back in a minute," she said and headed to the bedroom.

She returned moments later and joined Chandler who had moved into the living room again. "I have to say it again," she grinned. "I love you, Chandler."

He chuckled lightly. "I love you, too, Monica." He pulled her to him for a passionate kiss that was interrupted by the opening door.

"Guys!" Ross shouted as he walked into the apartment, followed by Rachel. "Not while my daughter's in the house," he scolded.

"Oh, come on, Ross. Look how cute they are." Rachel smiled at the sight of two of her best friends cuddling up to each other on the couch.

"I know, I know. And I'm happy for you guys. Really," he assured them. "I just get a little carried away sometimes," he smiled sheepishly.

"No problem," Monica said and stood up. "Rebecca just fell asleep. And you guys are early, by the way."

"Yeah, we know," Rachel sighed. "Ross got us kicked out of the restaurant."

"Ross! I'm shocked!" Chandler teased.

  
"It wasn't my fault that my foot accidentally slipped out into that obnoxious waiter's path," he defended himself. "Besides, he deserved it. He was hitting on my wife."

"He was not hitting on me. He was trying to recommend a meal to me, Ross," Rachel sighed. She turned back to Monica. "Thanks for watching her. You too, Chandler," she smiled and headed to the bedroom to retrieve her daughter. Monica followed her.

"So, how are you guys doing?" Ross asked when he and Chandler were alone.

"Oh, we're wonderful," Chandler answered. "Things are going great."

"That's good... Listen, Chandler, I don't want you to hurt her. If she gets hurt by you in this whole fiasco, I'll personally beat you to death. And that's a promise," he warned.

"I'd never hurt her," Chandler assured him. "I love her too much."

"You love her?" Ross asked, smiling brightly.

"Yes, I love her," he answered. "You don't have a thing to worry about. I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that she's happy. And _that's_ a promise," he smiled.

Rachel and Monica returned to the living room with Rebecca a few seconds later. "Good night, guys," Rachel called as she led Ross out of the apartment.

"Night," Monica and Chandler called after them.

"So... Now that we're all alone..." Monica grinned mischievously.

"Really?" he questioned. She nodded. "Are you sure you're ready for that? I want our first time to be special."

"It will be," Monica assured him. He grinned and kissed her passionately. "Wait." Monica stopped abruptly and pushed him away. "Do you, uh... have protection?" she asked, slightly embarrassed. "I'm just not sure if I'm ready to be pregnant again."

"I completely understand," he responded. "I'll have to go across the hall for a second." He placed a quick kiss on her forehead before hurrying toward the door. "Be right back."

Once he was out the door, Monica went into her bedroom and quickly changed into a blue satin nightgown and robe. She waited for Chandler to return for what seemed like hours.

He reentered her apartment almost ten minutes later and was surprised to see that Monica was no longer in the living room. Once he'd gotten to his apartment, he'd had to make small talk with Joey and Phoebe before going to his bedroom to retrieve what he had come for. Luckily, the couple had retreated to Joey's bedroom by the time Chandler returned to the living room. At least he didn't have to explain what he had and where he was going with it. Monica had probably gotten tired of waiting. "Mon?" he called and waited for her response.

She slowly emerged from the bedroom and smiled when Chandler's eyes widened.

"You look...gorgeous," Chandler managed to utter as he stared at her in awe.

"Thank you," she smiled. "Come on over," she said and waited for Chandler to walk over to her bedroom door.

He took her into his arms and kissed her tenderly, holding her as close to him as he could manage. "I love you," he whispered in her ear.

"I love you, too," she responded. "Make love to me, Chandler," she added and took his hand, leading him into her bedroom.

"With pleasure," he replied, and shut the door behind them.


	9. Why Not Today?

****

The Gift

__

Chapter Nine - Why Not Today?

Monica woke up the next morning and smiled when she saw Chandler sleeping beside her. She reached over and touched his cheek gently, causing his eyes to flutter open. "Sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"I'm glad you did," he smiled up at her. "Good morning, beautiful."

She blushed. "Good morning." She snuggled up to him and rested her head on his chest. "Thank you for last night. It was incredible."

"It was my pleasure," he grinned. "It was incredible for me, too."

"I can't believe I'm here with you," Monica said quietly. "It's wonderful, but I just can't believe it."

"I know what you mean. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up from a dream any minute now," he responded as he rubbed her shoulders.

"Well, I promise you, Chandler, this isn't a dream," she smiled and moved so she could kiss him. "I love you."

"I love you, too... You know, I just can't say that enough," he added.

"Then feel free to keep saying it, because I can't _hear_ it enough either," she teased. "As much as I hate to do this, I'm going to have to get up. I have to go in to work this afternoon."

"Yeah, I should probably go in today, too, but I think I'll just hang around here until you kick me out."

"Stay as long as you want," Monica replied as she got out of bed and put on her robe. "I like having you here," she continued and leaned over to give him a quick kiss. "I'm gonna take a shower."

"Okay... I'll make some breakfast for you," he said as he got out of bed and began to get dressed.

"Oh, you don't have to do that, Chandler. I'll make something when I get out."

"You've cooked for us for years. Let me do something for you for a change," he smiled and followed her into the living room.

"Thank you," she said before going into the bathroom and closing the door behind her.

Chandler looked through the refrigerator and took out some bacon and eggs to prepare for Monica. As soon as he started cooking, Joey and Phoebe burst into the apartment. Chandler jumped and dropped several eggs onto the kitchen floor.

"Oh no," Phoebe said when she saw the mess. "Monica will kill you."

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her," Chandler said as he hurried to clean up the sticky mess. "By the way, thanks for scaring me to death."

"No problem," Joey answered. "Hey... You didn't come home last night, did you?" he smirked.

"Joey, that's none of our business," Phoebe interrupted before Chandler could respond. She leaned over to whisper in Joey's ear. "I'll get all the details from Monica later."

Chandler just smiled and went back to preparing breakfast. "You guys want something to eat?" he asked, knowing exactly what he was going to hear from Joey.

"Of course," he said and pulled up a seat at the table. "As long as I don't have to cook it or clean up the mess."

"We don't have time, Joey. We've got stuff to do," Phoebe said and tried to pull him away from the table.

"What kind of stuff?" Chandler asked curiously.

"We're going on a little trip and we've got some things to take care of before we go," Phoebe answered.

"A trip? To where?"

"Well... We're gonna get married!" Joey exclaimed. "We're goin' to Vegas, baby!"

"Wow!" Chandler exclaimed. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Joey smiled at his friend. "I'm so excited!"

"I'm excited for both of you," Chandler replied. "So... Vegas, huh?"

"Yeah. We just wanted to do it right away," Phoebe responded. "We're leaving tomorrow... Where's Monica?" she asked.

"Right here," Monica answered when she exited the bathroom in her bathrobe. "What's going on?"

"We're gettin' married!" Joey exclaimed.

Monica just looked shocked for a minute, then responded. "Congratulations!" she exclaimed excitedly. "When?"

"Tomorrow. In Las Vegas," Phoebe informed her. "I was kind of wondering if you could go with me this afternoon to look for a dress. We don't want to bother with the whole ceremony, but I _do_ want a dress."

"Oh, honey, I wish I could, but I'm working this afternoon," Monica replied, disappointed. "No, wait. This is a once in a lifetime thing. I'll call and tell them I can't come in today," she continued and walked over to the living room to pick up the phone.

"This is so great!" Phoebe shouted. "I wonder if Rachel will come, too."

Monica quickly finished her phone call, then dialed Rachel's number. "Ask her," she said and handed the phone to Phoebe.

While Phoebe talked with Rachel over the telephone, Monica went into the kitchen with Joey and Chandler. "So, what did you make me for breakfast?" she asked, smiling at Chandler.

He put a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast in front of her. "How's that?" he asked.

"Looks good," she said, surprised. "Let's just hope it tastes okay."

"Hey, I can cook. Right, Joey?" Chandler said, looking to his friend for support.

"Yeah. He's pretty good at it when he wants to be. But it's too much work, so he hardly ever does it."

Phoebe returned to the kitchen. "Rachel's coming with us to look for my dress, and she had the greatest idea! Why don't you guys go to Vegas with us?" she asked, indicating Monica and Chandler. "Ross and Rachel said they would like to go, but they can't really take Becca. It'll be just the four of us. What do you say?"

"I don't know, Pheebs," Monica began. "I'd really like to be there, but..."

"But what? Do you have plans?" Joey asked.

"No, not really... Chandler? Could you go?"

"I _am_ supposed to work tomorrow... But who am I kidding? They'd never know I was gone," he smiled. "Monica? Do you want to go?"

"Well..." She stopped, looking at the begging face Joey was making. "Okay. I'll go," she smiled.

"Oh, thank you!" Phoebe exclaimed and hugged Monica tightly. "I'm gonna go get ready for our shopping trip!" she said and rushed across the hall.

"See you later," Joey called after grabbing some toast from the table and heading toward the door.

Chandler took a seat at table beside Monica and started to eat his own breakfast. "Pretty exciting news, huh?"

"Yeah. It really is," Monica agreed.

"So, um... I guess we're going to Vegas," he smiled.

"I guess so," she smiled back at him.

"Do you wanna make a weekend out of it?" he suggested. "They're gonna be busy with the honeymoon and all, so... Maybe once we've gotten them married, we could spend a little time with each other. We could probably use the time away from here anyway."

"I'd love that," she responded.

"Great. I'll make some calls," he said before kissing her forehead quickly and going to the living room to take care of plane tickets and hotel reservations over the phone. "Hey, Mon," he called just as he picked up the phone to dial.

She turned around to face him. "Yeah?"

"I love you," he said simply.

She smiled. "I love you, too."

==========

Chandler and Monica found themselves in a Las Vegas wedding chapel the next evening, watching two of their best friends get married. Phoebe had picked out a very simple knee length, sleeveless, white dress for the ceremony. Joey was wearing a pair of khaki pants and a blue dress shirt. Neither of them looked much like the traditional bride and groom when it came to their clothing, but they had never looked happier.

After the ceremony, Joey and Phoebe headed off to the honeymoon suite they were staying in, which Chandler had paid for as a wedding gift. He and Monica decided to go back to their own room. It had been a long day, and neither of them felt like roaming through casinos at the moment.

"I'm so happy for them," Monica said dreamily as she plopped down on the bed in their hotel room.

"I know. They really are happy, aren't they?" Chandler said as he got onto the bed and propped himself up on his elbow so he could look at her.

"Yeah. They really are," she responded, then rolled over so she was looking at Chandler. "Do you think that we're going to have what they have? Ross and Rachel are happily married, and now Joey and Phoebe have tied the knot... I don't mean to put any pressure on you, Chandler, but do you think we're going to have that, too?"

He just smiled at her. "Yeah, I think we are. Maybe not today, but someday," he assured her. He reached over and brushed her hair away from her face. "You know what? Why _not_ today? I mean, we're in a town that's full of all night wedding chapels. We could get married right here, right now."

"You've got to be kidding me," Monica laughed. "I didn't mean we had to get married right away. I was just thinking about this stuff. Weddings do that to me."

"I'm serious, Monica. I love you. And someday I'm going to ask you to marry me. Why can't that day be today?"

"Chandler -"

"Wait. Let me do this right." He got off the bed, and pulled her up so she was sitting on the edge of the bed. "Just a second," he said and starting frantically looking around the room. He saw his keys on the nightstand and picked them up, then took off a ring from his keychain. After walking back to Monica, he got onto one knee and held up the ring to her. "Monica Geller, will you marry me?"

==========

A/N - Think she'll say yes? No? It feels good to be the only one with all the answers. lol I've already got the next chapter written, but I'm going to keep you in suspense for day or two... Please let me know what you thought...


	10. Mixed Feelings

****

The Gift

__

Chapter Ten - Mixed Feelings

"Monica Geller, will you marry me?" Chandler asked, on bended knee, holding a keychain as an engagement ring.

Monica looked at him, shocked. She couldn't believe he was actually doing this. Finally, she gave him her answer. "No."

Chandler looked excited for a minute and took her left hand to place the makeshift ring on her finger. "Oh, Mon -" The look of excitement on his face quickly changed to confusion when he realized what she had said. "No? You said _no_?"

"Chandler, I love you, but you're not ready for this. We've only been dating for a couple of months, sweetie. We don't have to rush into anything right now." She took his hand and pulled him up so he could sit on the bed beside her. "I want to be your wife when you're ready for me to be your wife. And you're not ready right now."

"How do you know that I'm not ready right now?" he asked. "I could be."

"Honestly, Chandler, I'm not ready either. And you can say you're ready if you want to... But you're not," Monica responded. "Think about it."

He didn't speak for a minute, trying to comprehend what he had just done. Suddenly, he burst into laughter. "I'm so sorry," he apologized. "I must look like the biggest idiot in the whole world," he said. "I proposed to you with a keychain," he laughed.

"Yeah. And since you brought it up, I'm gonna need the real thing when the time comes," she teased.

"No problem," he replied, trying to stop laughing. "I'm sorry. I'm such an idiot."

"You're not an idiot, Chandler. That was very romantic. And if we were ready to get married, I would have said yes."

"To that? I'm surprised you didn't laugh in my face," he said, finally able to control his own laughter.

"I wouldn't do that," she assured him.

"But you deserve everything, Monica. Not just a hasty proposal like that one. You deserve candlelight and roses... And a real engagement ring," he said, looking at the keychain he still had in his hand. "And, when we're ready, you'll have that," he promised. "I'll make sure it's something you'll never forget."

"No matter what you do, Chandler, I'll never forget it," she smiled. "Just like I'll never forget this," she continued and started laughing.

"I thought you said you wouldn't laugh at me."

"I guess I lied," she responded, still laughing.

"That's it," he teased and pushed her onto her back. "You're not gonna lie to me and get away with it," he smirked before kissing her passionately.

==========

Three months later, the six friends were happier than they had ever been. Ross, Rachel, and Rebecca were still a happy little family. Joey had moved in with Phoebe after the wedding, and he and Phoebe were talking about starting their own family. Chandler was living alone, just across the hall from Monica, although it seemed that he was hardly ever at his own place anymore. They had just decided that they were going to live together, in Monica's apartment.

"Hey, you," Chandler smiled when he walked into Central Perk one afternoon to find Monica sitting on the orange couch by herself. He joined her and quickly kissed her cheek. "What's goin' on?" he asked, seeing how distant she seemed.

"Oh. Nothing," she answered, finally looking over at him. "Hi, sweetie," she continued and kissed him.

"Hi," he said, not quite convinced that there was nothing going on. "Honey, are you having second thoughts about me moving in with you?" he asked worriedly.

"No, honey, it's not that," she assured him. "I can't wait for you to move in with me," she smiled.

"I can't wait either," he smiled back at her. "I just stopped by for a minute when I saw you in here, but I'm supposed to meet Joey down the street for lunch. Wanna come?" he asked.

"No. You go ahead," she replied. "I've got some things I need to do."

"All right," he said reluctantly. He could tell that something was going on with her. "You've got my cell phone number if you need me for anything, okay?"

"Okay... Bye, Chandler."

"Bye, Mon. See you later."

==========

After she had finished her coffee, Monica went back up to her apartment and plopped down on the couch. Of all things, she didn't need this. Not now. Not this way. She had no idea how she was going to tell Chandler. She couldn't believe it herself. Chandler would probably be out with Joey for awhile, so at least she had some time to think it over. That was good.

But it wasn't true. Only moments after Monica got home, Chandler walked through the door. "Hey, Mon," he said, walking over to join her in the living room.

"Hey," she replied, a little surprised to see him. "I thought you were having lunch with Joey."

"I was supposed to, but I wanted to check on you, so I asked him if we could do it another time... There's something wrong, isn't there?" he questioned.

"No, Chandler. Not really," she answered. Now she had no time at all to plan this.

"Listen, Mon. You can tell me anything. You know that, right?" She nodded. "So just tell me. Maybe I can help."

"Oh, you've helped enough already," she replied, smiling weakly. Her smile faded and she forced herself to look into his eyes. "I'm pregnant."

He just stared at her in silence for a few seconds, then spoke. "Pregnant?" She nodded. "But we used protection _every time_."

"I know... But it doesn't always work, Chandler. These things happen."

"Okay. We're having a baby." He wanted to be excited but, after the last time, he wasn't sure that he _could_ be until he _knew_ that everything was going to be okay. "Have you seen your doctor?" he asked.

"Yes. She says that I'm already three months along and -"

"Three months? Shouldn't you have...you know, _noticed_, by now?" he questioned.

"Probably. But things haven't been normal since the miscarriage with all of the stress I've been under. So I didn't really have a clue that anything was going on until my appointment this morning."

"I see... So, are you okay? Are you and the baby healthy?" he asked worriedly. He couldn't lose this baby too. He couldn't go through that again. Neither of them could handle that.

"Well, there's another thing," she began.

"Another thing? What's the other thing?"

"There are _two_ babies. We're having twins," she informed him.

"Wow. Two for the price of one," he said, amazed. "In that case, are you and the _babies_ healthy?"

"Yeah. At the moment," she answered. "I'm already through the first trimester, so that's a really good thing... But there could be problems later on. I'm almost 42. These aren't exactly my best childbearing years, you know."

"But you'll be fine," he tried to assure her. "I'm sure of it."  
  
Monica had tried to keep calm for Chandler's sake when she told him, but she couldn't put on a brave face anymore. She was terrified. "Chandler, I'm so scared," she sobbed. "If I lose these babies, too, I... I just don't think I could take that."

"I know, Monica... I know..." he said quietly, pulling her into his arms and holding her as close to him as he could. "We'll get through this together. We'll do everything that the doctor says... That's all we can do, Mon."

"I know," she agreed, trying to stop crying. "I want to be happy, Chandler. I really do. But I just don't know how to do that. I'm afraid to get my hopes up this time... And I feel so guilty."

"I understand," he assured her. He knew exactly how she was feeling. He was experiencing nearly every emotion possibly at the moment.

She pushed away from him gently and walked over to the kitchen table, returning moments later with a videotape.

"What's this?" Chandler asked when she handed it to him.

"Our babies," she replied. "It's a video from the sonogram today. I thought you might want to watch it... But you don't have to if you don't want to," she quickly added.

"I want to," he said and got up to put the tape in. They both sat down on the couch, and Chandler pushed play on the remote control.

Seconds later, the blurry images appeared on the television screen, and Chandler's eyes filled with tears. He didn't want to cry - not when Monica needed him to be strong. But seeing those tiny little blurs that were the beginning of new life touched a part of him that he didn't even know existed. The first time Monica had been pregnant, they hadn't made it this far. They'd never been able to see their baby. But this was real. The babies were real.

"That's incredible," Chandler whispered, his eyes still glued to the television.

Monica reached up and wiped the tears from his cheeks and placed a gentle kiss where her fingers had brushed his skin. The first time she had seen the sonogram, she hadn't been able to control her tears either. Although she had known that there was a life inside of her with her first pregnancy, it hadn't seemed completely real to her. Now, she had been able to see the little miracles that were growing inside of her. And she was just as scared as she was happy.

Chandler moved his hand to rest on Monica's stomach, while he was still staring at the screen. She placed her hand over his and rested her head on his shoulder. "Pretty amazing, huh?" she said quietly. "I still can't believe that this is happening. And I can't believe that we're having _two_ babies," she added, looking at the screen with him. Those blurry images and squiggly lines were the most beautiful things she had ever seen.

Chandler finally managed to look away from the television and looked at Monica. "I love you, Monica. No matter what happens, I love you - and I love our babies."

"I love you, too," Monica replied and kissed him tenderly. "And I love our babies. No matter what."

==========

A/N - Thank you for your reviews for the last few chapters. And I'm sorry that she didn't say yes... But there's more to come... Please let me know what you thought.


	11. A Little Bit of Hope

****

The Gift

__

Chapter Eleven - A Little Bit of Hope

The next month was difficult for Monica - and Chandler. Although she hadn't been sick at all before she had learned of her pregnancy, she seemed to be sick every morning for almost three weeks since she learned of her condition. Chandler had moved into her apartment just days after they discovered she was pregnant, and he had tried to be there for her whenever she needed him. At times he felt like he wasn't doing enough for her. At other times, Monica insisted that he was doing _too_ much for her. He knew that she was terrified that something would go wrong, and with all of the pregnancy hormones, it was hard to control her emotions. But Chandler was there for her, as a shoulder to cry on, and she deeply appreciated it.

One afternoon, Chandler was surprised when Monica showed up while he was at work. His secretary showed her to his office, and when he saw her come through the door, he just knew that something was wrong.

He immediately jumped up from his desk and walked over to her. "Monica? What are you doing here? What happened?" he asked anxiously as his secretary shut the door, leaving him alone with Monica. "Are you okay? Are the babies okay?"

"Chandler, sweetie, calm down," she said, placing her hands on his shoulders and smiling at him. "Sit down," she said and pushed him back over to his desk. He sat on the edge of his desk, and Monica stood directly in front of him.

"What is it?" he asked, wondering why she would make such an unexpected visit.

"The babies kicked," she informed him. "I was at lunch with Rachel and Phoebe, and they started kicking. It feels so wonderful, Chandler," she smiled brightly.

He gave her a shaky smile and placed his hand on her stomach. He was very relieved that nothing was wrong, but the fact that she had shown up had shocked him. "Are they doing it now?" he asked, moving his hand on her slightly rounded stomach, trying to feel the babies' activity.

"Not right now, but I'm sure they'll do it again in a minute or two. They've hardly stopped at all," she said and placed her hand beside his on her stomach. "I think they're playing together," she grinned. "Our kids are already good children."

"Or maybe they're fighting," he teased, smiling back at her. He jumped suddenly and pulled his hand away from her. "What was that?"

"The babies," she said simply and took his hand to place it back on her stomach. "Do you feel it?" she asked, looking at him for an answer.

The confused look on his face suddenly turned into a look of pure amazement. "Yeah, I feel it," he said quietly. He bent over so his face was close to her stomach and spoke. "Hey, guys. I'm your daddy." That remark received another kick from the babies, and Chandler looked up to Monica and smiled. "They love me already," he said, then stood back up.

"Well, I guess you're just a lovable kind of guy," she responded and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. "I'm sorry if I disturbed your busy schedule," she smirked.

"Yeah. You totally ruined my plans," he teased. "But for this, I'd give up everything," he said sincerely while gently rubbing Monica's stomach.

"Me too," she said and wrapped her arms around him. "Days like these give me a little bit of hope," she said quietly.

"I know," he replied and kissed the back of her neck. "But things are going really well. The babies are healthy, and so are you. I really think we'll be okay this time..."

==========

When Monica had reached her seventh month, she was hardly able to walk around anymore. She had gained a lot of weight, and she seemed to be tired all the time. Chandler was doing most of his work from home so he could be around to help Monica when she couldn't get up from the couch or when she needed something. He was also doing a huge part of the housework and, although Monica appreciated it, she wasn't always pleased with how he did it.

"Chandler?" Monica said one night while she and Chandler were watching television together.

He looked over at her. "What is it, babe?"

"Did you move the coffee table when you were vacuuming this afternoon?" she asked.

"Um... Yeah, I had to," he answered, afraid of what she was going to say to him. "I'm sorry."

"No no no. It's okay," she assured him. "It's just... Well, when you're finished with the vacuuming, you're supposed to put it back where you found it."

"I thought I did, honey." He was almost positive that he had put it back in the right spot.

"No. Close, but no," she responded. "You see, I used to be able to reach the coffee table while I was sitting on the couch. And now, I can't," she said, demonstrating by trying to reach the table while trying to pull herself up. With the added weight, it wasn't an easy task.

"Honey, I think that it might just be the babies. They're kinda gettin' in your way a lot lately," he said, trying not to upset her. He knew that she wasn't thrilled about being "overweight" again. She knew that it was normal - and absolutely necessary - but she wasn't thrilled about it.

"What are you saying, Chandler? Are you saying that I'm too _fat_?" she asked angrily. "Because I'm _fat_ because of what _you_ did to me. It's your own fault, you know!" she shouted.

"No, honey, I'm not saying that. I still think that you're the most beautiful woman in the world. You know that. You're not fat. You're gorgeous," he smiled at her. He got up from his seat in the armchair and sat down beside her on the couch, then placed his hand on her stomach. "This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, and I'd be disappointed if you _didn't_ look like this right now."

"Oh... Well, you're forgiven," she said reluctantly. "Just don't ever say that I'm fat again."

"But, Mon, I didn't say -"

"I said, don't ever say that I'm fat again. Don't argue with the pregnant lady," she interrupted.

"Absolutely, dear," he teased and kissed her tenderly. "Why don't we go to bed?" he suggested. "It's getting late, and you need all the rest you can get."

"All right," she agreed. Chandler helped her up from the couch and into their bedroom.

"Monica?" he said as they were both changing for bed.

"Yeah?"

"I was just wondering... When are we going to start working on the nursery?" he asked. He knew that it was a touchy subject, but they really had to get started. In the beginning of the pregnancy, neither of them had wanted to make any major plans for the future, but they only had two months - possibly _less_ than two months - before the babies arrived.

She finished changing and carefully crawled into bed. She had been putting this off for a long time now, and she knew that he was right. They really did need to start working on the nursery. "I guess we could start that now," she replied. "We've only got a couple of months to go."

"Yeah... We can talk about it tomorrow, Mon. You just get some rest," he said and helped tuck her into bed. He kissed her gently. "I love you."

"I love you, too... Good night."

==========

"I don't know, Rach. I just don't feel so good," Monica said to her friend the next afternoon. Chandler had gone into the office for a few hours, and Rachel had come over to visit with Rebecca.

"Monica sick?" Rebecca asked, looking at her aunt with wide eyes.

"Honey, I'm gonna be fine," she tried to assure the little girl.

"I'm calling Chandler," Rachel said and picked up the telephone, quickly dialing his number.

"Chandler Bing."

"Chandler? It's Rachel," she began. Before she could continue, he interrupted her.

"Is Monica all right?" he asked worriedly. "What's going on?"

"Listen, honey, she's fine. She just isn't feeling very well, so I thought we might need to take her by the emergency room, just to check everything. Just don't panic, okay?"

"Yeah... Can you get her there?"

"Sure. I'll get her there. You just meet us at the hospital," she replied.

"All right... Thanks, Rachel."

"Hey, no problem... She's gonna be fine, Chandler. They're all gonna be fine," she tried to reassure him.

"I know." He tried to sound like he really believed it... He didn't.

"We'll see you there," Rachel said and hung up the phone. She turned to Monica. "I'm going to get you to the emergency room, just to make sure everything's okay." She saw the terrified look on Monica's face, then tried to comfort her. "It's gonna be okay, Mon. I promise you, it's gonna be fine." Rachel helped Monica stand, then picked up Rebecca. "All right, girls. Let's go."

==========

Rachel, Monica, and Rebecca arrived at the hospital soon, and were greeted by Chandler just outside the entrance to the emergency room. He immediately rushed to Monica's side.

"I'm here," he said, helping her into a wheelchair once they were inside. "How are you feeling?" He knew it was a stupid question, but he asked it anyway.

"Not great... But I'll feel better when I know what's going on," she answered.

"We'll find out soon." They reached the desk, and a nurse showed them to an examining room where they were greeted by a doctor just minutes later.

"I'm Dr. Walker," he said, while preparing to begin his examination. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked.

"She's pregnant," Chandler said nervously.

"Yes, I see that," the doctor replied. "Ms. Geller?" he continued, waiting for her to answer his question.

"I don't know what the problem is, but it hurts," she answered. "I don't want anything to happen to my babies."

"Don't worry. We'll do everything we can," he assured her.

Monica just hoped that was enough.


	12. An Expected Surprise

A/N -Thank you for your reviews, again. I hope you like this chapter...

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The Gift

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Chapter Twelve - An Expected Surprise

Monica was admitted to the hospital for the night, but the doctor told her that the babies seemed to be perfectly healthy. However, he didn't want to take any chances with either her health or the babies' health. Better safe than sorry.

Rachel had already left with Rebecca once she discovered that Monica was going to be okay. She had promised to send Ross over later to check on her. Chandler refused to leave Monica's side.

"Chandler, please go home and get some rest. The doctor said that everything was fine. I can survive one night without you," she tried to reason with him.

"You can? Well, maybe _you_ can, but _I_ can't survive one night without you," he teased. He was holding her hand and stroking it gently. He raised it to his lips and kissed it tenderly.

"You are so full of it," she laughed.

"Only for you, babe," he grinned. "Why don't you try to get some sleep?"

"I don't know if I can," she replied. "I've got too much on my mind."

"Monica, please don't worry about this. You're going to be fine, and our babies are going to be fine. This is just a precautionary measure. You heard the doctor."

"I know that, but that's not what I was thinking about... Where are we, Chandler? I know men hate to hear that question, but I need to know. Are we really going somewhere with this or is this just because we're having children together?"

"No, Mon, that's not what this is about," he assured her. "I love you - more than I ever thought I could love anyone. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. The fact that we're having babies together is just icing on the cake," he smiled.

"Really, Chandler? Is this really what you want?" she asked doubtfully.

He could see how much she needed to know that he really _was_ serious about this. The pregnancy hormones had completely altered her views on a lot of things lately. This was one of them. "Yes, this is what I want... Monica, I didn't want to tell you this here. Not now. But... I was going to propose tonight."

"Propose? Really?" she asked with wide eyes.

"Yes, really. I had this wonderful night planned for you. I even have a real engagement ring this time," he smiled, recalling his hasty proposal in Las Vegas. "I wanted this time to be special for you."

"Chandler, asking me to spend the rest of my life with you is pretty special - no matter how you do it," she said with tears in her eyes.

He reached up to brush her tears away with his fingers and then kissed her cheek. "You deserve everything you've always dreamed of, Monica. I love you so much. I just want you to be happy."

"I am," she assured him. "So, are you going to do it now?" she asked anxiously.

"What? Propose?" he asked.

"Yeah. What else would I be talking about?"

"But I don't have the ring with me. It's in my nightstand in our bedroom. Is it okay if I wait until we're home again?"

"Of course it's okay," she responded.

"The only problem with this is that you're going to know it's coming. It's like...an _expected_ surprise," he smiled.

"I'm sure it will be wonderful," she assured him. "Now, will you please go home and get some sleep?"

"Honey, I'm not leaving you here alone tonight. I want to be here."

She simply smiled at him. "Thank you," she said quietly. "I love you."

He returned her smile and kissed her again. "I love you, too... Now get some sleep so you'll be ready to go home tomorrow."

==========

When morning came, the doctor did another exam and discovered that Monica and the babies were still doing well enough to go home. Dr. Walker told her that she needed to get plenty of rest, and that she shouldn't take on any unnecessary activities. Chandler promised the doctor that he would make sure that she abided by the rules, and took her home.

"You really need a shower," Monica said, wrinkling her nose, as Chandler unlocked the door to the apartment.

"Do I really smell that bad?" he laughed.

"Yes, you do. That's what happens when you won't go home, take a shower, and get some sleep," she responded.

"I'm sorry... I promise, I'll take one soon," he chuckled and helped her inside. He heard Monica gasp when she saw the living room.

"Chandler, this is beautiful," she said quietly. The apartment was filled with red roses, and tiny white Christmas lights were hung all around the room. "How did you do this?"

"Oh, I have my ways," he grinned.

She smiled at him and he helped her into the living room to sit down in the armchair. "Really, Chandler. How did you do this?"

"I had some help," he replied simply, then got down on one knee in front of her and took out a ring box, then opened it so she could see what was inside.

"Oh, Chandler," she uttered almost inaudibly.

"Monica, I love you. I can never say that to you enough, because there was one point when I thought I would _never_ get to say that to you the way I mean it now - and know that you returned the feeling," he added with a grin. "We've been through a lot together. At first we were just friends, and that was incredible. I knew that you'd be there for me when I needed you, and I hope that you knew that I was always there for you. Then, when we decided to have a baby together, I felt so much closer to you. I don't think you'll ever know how much I really wanted that - and _still_ want that... And then, finally, we crossed that line from friends to lovers, and I don't think anything has ever made me happier. I loved you then, and I love you even more now - if that's possible. We've been through a lot together - especially over the last year and a half - and I think that all of those things have made us stronger... I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Monica. You're the love of my life, and I can't imagine spending one second without knowing that we belong to each other forever... Monica Geller, will you marry me?"

Monica was sobbing quietly by the time Chandler finished his speech. She wiped away her tears and cupped his face in her hands. "Yes, Chandler, I'll marry you," she said quietly.

He smiled brightly and reached up to kiss her. Once they broke the kiss, he pulled away and took the ring from its box, then placed it on her finger. Well, _tried_ to place it on her finger. "Uh oh," he said quietly when it wouldn't quite fit. "I must have gotten the wrong size."

"No," Monica replied. "My hands are a little swollen," she laughed through her tears of happiness. Any other time she would have been devastated, but she didn't care that it didn't fit. All that mattered to her was the fact that the man she loved was willing to spend the rest of his life with her. "I'll put it on a chain to wear around my neck until after the babies are born - and my hands are back to normal," she said and took it from him to get a closer look. "It's beautiful."

"I'm glad you like it," he replied and kissed her again. "Do you still think I stink?" he teased.

"Actually, yeah. I do," she laughed. "You should probably take a shower now," she suggested.

"All right. But only because my _fiancee_ asked me to," he grinned.

"Then do your _fiancee_ a favor and hand me the telephone. I'll make some phone calls while you're in the shower."

"You have to spread the news, huh?" he asked, smiling.

"Of course," she laughed.

He handed her the telephone and kissed her tenderly. "I can't wait until you're my wife."

"And I can't wait until you're my husband."

==========

The next afternoon, the six friends met in Central Perk. Although all of them had busy lives of their own now, they still managed to meet once a week in the familiar coffeehouse where they had spent so many wonderful times together.

"How are you feeling, Mon?" Ross asked. He knew that she probably shouldn't even be out of her apartment at the moment, but this was something she refused to miss.

"I'm fine, Ross. Chandler's taking really good care of me," she answered smiling at her fiancee.

"Good," her brother smiled, then turned to look around at the rest of the group. "So, what's new with everybody?" he asked. "Anything exciting?"

"Well, actually Joey and I have some news," Phoebe grinned. She was sitting in her husband's lap in the armchair. "We're gonna have a baby!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Oh, Pheebs, that's great!" Rachel said happily and got up from her spot on the couch to hug her friend. "Congratulations, you two."

"I'd hug you, too, Pheebs, but I can't get up," Monica laughed. "I'm so happy for you guys," she said sincerely.

"Thanks," Phoebe replied, smiling brightly, then kissed Joey. "We can't wait."

"We're gonna have a lot of kids around here to spoil," Ross said, looking at Rachel. "You know, the aunts and uncles do a lot of the spoiling. We'll have our work cut out for us with baby Tribbiani and the Bing twins."

"Then we'll just have to make sure Becca is covered really well," Chandler teased.

"I'm sure you will," Ross laughed. "So... Anything new with you guys?" he asked, looking at Monica and Chandler.

"Actually, yes. There _is_ something new with us," Monica smiled and looked over at Chandler. She hadn't been able to reach Rachel or Phoebe the night before, and now she was more than ready to share her good news. "We're engaged!"

"Wow! Congratulations!" Rachel said and got up to hug her friend, just as she had done with Phoebe.

"Oh! You're getting married and we're having a baby! This is so exciting!" Phoebe exclaimed and followed Rachel's lead.

"Yeah, their engagement is exciting, but our baby news is better," Joey interrupted. "I already knew he was asking her to marry him," he added, gesturing toward Chandler.

"You knew?! You knew and you didn't tell me?!" Phoebe yelled. "Joseph Francis Tribbiani, you're supposed to tell your wife _everything_!"

"Hey! Don't be mad at me!" he replied. "Ross knew about it, too!"

Rachel looked at Ross angrily. "You knew, too?! I cannot believe that you didn't tell me about this! You should have _known_ that I would want to know!"

"Hey, we only knew because Chandler needed our help." Ross tried to defend Joey and himself, but he wasn't successful.

"We could've helped, too," Phoebe responded and looked at Chandler. "Why couldn't we help, too?"

"Um..." He looked at both angry women nervously, then looked at Monica. "Mon, help me out here," he pleaded.

"Oh, no, Mr. Bing. You got yourself into this one, and you can get yourself out of it," she said with a smirk.

"Oh brother," Chandler sighed. "A pregnant woman and an uninformed gossip. What's a man to do?"

==========

A/N - I hope you liked this chapter. The proposal got a little long, and a little sappy, but I couldn't help it... And, in response to one of the reviews... No, I'm not that cruel. lol Please let me know what you thought.


	13. Some Good News and Some Bad News

A/N - Thank you for your reviews, and I hope you like this chapter. I'm not sure that it came out as well as I had hoped, but please let me know what you think...

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****

The Gift

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Chapter Thirteen - Some Good News and Some Bad News

"This is perfect," Monica said quietly as she glanced around the completed nursery. "It's just how I always imagined it would be," she continued and felt Chandler wrap his arms around her from behind. His hands rested on her very large stomach, and she placed her hands on top of his. There were only three weeks to go before the babies' due date, and everyone was very excited about it. Chandler had just put the finishing touches on the nursery, and they were ready for their babies to come home.

"I'm glad it turned out the way you wanted it," Chandler said and kissed the back of his fiancee's neck. "Here. Sit down," he added and helped her over to the rocking chair in the corner of the room. Once she was seated, he kneeled down beside her and leaned up against the wall. "I guess we're ready."

"Yeah. I guess we are," Monica agreed, rubbing her swollen stomach. "I can't believe we've made it this far."

"You mean 'us' or with the babies?" he asked curiously. Chandler knew that he couldn't believe either of them. First of all, he had been terrified for most of Monica's pregnancy. After the first one, he was surprised that they had made it almost to the finish line this time. Secondly, he couldn't believe that he was actually engaged to marry the most wonderful woman he had ever known.

"Both," she replied. "I'm so happy that we're together, Chandler, and that we're having these babies. I don't think you'll ever know how happy you make me," she smiled at him, and wiped away a few tears. She couldn't help laughing lightly.

"What? What are you laughing at?" he asked, confused.

"I'm sorry," she chuckled. "I was just thinking that I'm always crying lately. It's kind of funny."

"Well, if you say so," Chandler shrugged. "But I really don't like it when you're upset."

"Honey, I'm not always upset... It's just these hormones, I guess. I'm so emotional... I can only imagine how much crying I'm going to do when these babies get here," she smiled.

"Just three more weeks and we'll find out," Chandler replied. "I can hardly wait."

Monica was silent for a minute before she spoke again. "Chandler, maybe we won't have to wait," she said quietly.

"Why? What do you mean?" he asked nervously, jumping up from his spot on the floor.

"I think my water just broke."

"Now? But the babies aren't due for another three weeks. You can't be in labor _now_. It's not time."

"Tell that to the babies," Monica said and tried to stand up on her own. "If you're not gonna help me, I'm going to the hospital on my own. Even if it's a false alarm, I'd feel better knowing that I'd seen a doctor."

"Of course, Mon," Chandler replied and helped her stand. He carefully led her into the living room, picked up the bag that she'd had packed for weeks, and helped her out the door. "I guess we're about to become parents..."

==========

"Monica, you are definitely in labor," Dr. Collins informed her after the exam. "But I think we need to talk about something," she continued, looking from Monica to Chandler, then back at Monica.

"Is something wrong?" Monica asked worriedly. "Will the babies be okay? I know it's early, but -"

"Monica, your babies are going to be fine," the doctor assured her. "However, I think that it would be best for both you and the babies if we did a cesarean."

"If that's what you have to do, then just do it. Just please tell me that the babies are going to be okay," Monica pleaded. Chandler squeezed her hand and waited for the doctor to answer.

"They _are_ early, but I think that they will be fine. Both babies appear to be perfectly healthy, and I have no reason to believe that they'll be born any differently."

"Thank you, Dr. Collins," Chandler smiled and rubbed Monica's arm gently. He could tell that she was still having doubts about the birth.

"You're very welcome... I'll be back a little later to check on you, and we'll see what we can do about the cesarean," the doctor said before leaving the room.

"It's gonna be fine," Chandler said and kissed the top of Monica's head. "We're finally going to be a mom and dad together."

"Yeah, finally," Monica sighed. "I'm just a little anxious to have them out here and in my arms. I want to see for myself that they're perfectly healthy."

"You'll see soon enough," Chandler promised her. "I hope they look like you," he added after a moment.

"Like me? I hope they look like _you_," Monica replied. "They need to have your eyes. You have incredible eyes."

"And your smile. I love your smile."

She gave him a smile for that remark, then grimaced as another contraction came over her. She took his hand and tried her best to breathe through the pain. It wasn't helping.

"This hurts so much," she groaned, squeezing Chandler's hand as tightly as she could.

"You're doing great, Mon," he encouraged. "It'll all be over soon... I wish I could do this for you. You've been through enough already."

==========

Monica managed to breathe through yet another contraction, then closed her eyes and rested her head on the pillow. "You're so wonderful. Thank you for being here," she said quietly, obviously exhausted.

"I wouldn't dream of being anywhere else," he assured her and brushed her hair out of her face before placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'm gonna be right by your side when our babies come into this world - and for the rest of our lives."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but we're ready for you, Monica. It's time to meet these babies," Dr. Collins said when she entered the room.

"Thank goodness," Monica sighed. "I've been waiting way too long for this."

==========

"All right, Dad, look right over here. Baby number one is on the way out," the doctor informed Chandler. Seconds later, she held a tiny baby up for him to see.

"Oh, Monica, she's so beautiful," he said with tears in his eyes. He was sitting in a chair by her head. He leaned over and kissed her forehead gently. "She looks like you."

"A girl," Monica whispered. "We have a girl..."

"And here comes baby number two," the doctor continued. "Looks like you've got another little girl," she informed both Monica and Chandler.

"Daddy's little girls," Monica smiled, looking over at Chandler. "Go check on them."

"I don't wanna leave you," he replied. He wanted to see his daughters, but he didn't want to leave Monica's side.

"I'll still be here when you come back," she answered. "Just bring them over so I can see them."

Chandler kissed her again, then went over to look at the two tiny babies. The nurses had just finished cleaning up the first one and, before Chandler knew what was happening, the little girl was in his arms. "Hi, baby," he whispered. "I'm your daddy," he continued, tears beginning to run down his cheeks. He and Monica had been through so much to become parents together, and now it had finally happened. They were the proud parents of two healthy baby girls.

Another nurse led him back to his chair beside Monica and handed the other baby to him once he was seated again. Monica turned her head so she could see the babies, and felt tears flowing freely down her cheeks. She'd wanted to be a mother for most of her life, and she always knew that it would be an incredible feeling. But she had never dreamed that it would be _this_ incredible. "They're so beautiful," she whispered weakly.

Chandler could tell that she was exhausted. He looked up from the babies to Monica. "That's because they look exactly like their mother," he said. Monica smiled at him, and he smiled back at her, then looked back down at the babies.

"I think this is the best gift I've ever gotten, Chandler," Monica said quietly before closing her eyes.

It was then that Chandler heard the medical staff in the room begin to bustle around Monica, rattling off medical terms that he didn't really understand. Two nurses came over to him, took the babies, and led him to the other side of the room. "What's going on?" he asked worriedly. "What's wrong with Monica?"

"They're doing everything they can, Mr. Bing. She's in good hands," a nurse answered, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you come with us while we take your daughters to the nursery?" she said.

Chandler still hadn't taken his eyes away from Monica. "No. I can't leave her," he replied.

"You need to leave the room. They can take better care of her if you just step out for a few minutes. Everything will be okay," the nurse tried to convince him.

"Fine... Fine," Chandler agreed reluctantly and followed the nurses and his babies out of the room. Soon they were in the nursery. Chandler looked up and saw his friends standing outside the nursery window. He smiled slightly, his eyes still glistening with tears, then looked back down at his babies. After gazing at his daughters for what seemed like an eternity, he stepped out to talk to Joey, Phoebe, Ross, and Rachel.

"Hey, man. What did you have?" Joey asked excitedly.

"Babies, Joey," Phoebe answered, as if the answer was obvious. "Oh. Boys or girls. Yeah," she continued once she realized what her husband meant. "The pregnancy is throwing me off," she said, placing her hands on her slightly protruding stomach.

"Well, they're both wrapped in pink blankets. I think I'd have to guess they had girls," Rachel said excitedly.

"I've got two nieces," Ross smiled and patted Chandler on his back. "Congratulations, Chandler."

"Thanks." Chandler finally spoke to his friends for the first time since entering the hallway and, for the first time, they noticed that he wasn't smiling like a new dad should be smiling.

"What's goin' on?" Joey asked, concerned.

"The babies are doing great, but... Something must have gone wrong with Monica. She's still back there," he answered quietly. "I'm so scared," he admitted, allowing Rachel and Phoebe to bring him into a hug.

"Mr. Bing?" The voice of Dr. Collins brought Chandler away from his friends. He looked at her, then listened as she continued. "I have some good news and some bad news."


	14. My Girls

A/N - First of all, I'm sorry this has taken so long to put up - and I left you with a cliffhanger in the last chapter. What a horrible thing to do... I'm sure you didn't think I'd mess things up _too_ much, did you? Well, you'll soon see... And thank you very much for your reviews. I'm glad you're enjoying this.

==========

****

The Gift

__

Chapter Fourteen - My Girls

"I have some good news and some bad news."

Chandler just looked at the doctor and waited for her to continue. At least there was _some_ good news. He could only hope that the good news was that Monica was going to be all right.

"The good news is that Monica is going to be fine," Dr. Collins began, as if she were reading Chandler's mind. "She lost quite a bit of blood, and she's going to be weak for awhile, but she'll be fine. She just needs to get plenty of rest. I'm sure you can see that she follows the doctor's orders," she smiled slightly and placed her hand on Chandler's shoulder.

"That's wonderful news, but what was the bad news?" Chandler asked. He wasn't sure if he _wanted_ to hear the answer to that question, but he knew that he _needed_ to.

"Well... Why don't we discuss that when you're with Monica?" the doctor suggested. "You just adore those precious babies for now. Monica is in a recovery room down the hall. They can tell you which one at the nurses' station. And I'll have them bring your babies soon," she smiled and walked away from the group of friends.

"See, Chandler? She's gonna be fine," Rachel said, rubbing Chandler's back, trying to comfort him.

He turned back to look into the nursery again and allowed himself to smile at his daughters. Today was supposed to be a happy day, and he wasn't going to let anything ruin it for Monica or himself. "I'm going to check on Monica," he said, looking back at his friends. "Keep an eye on my girls for me," he smiled slightly and headed down the hallway.

Soon he was shown to Monica's room by a nurse, and he walked in to find Monica wide awake.

"Hey," she said quietly. "How are the babies?"

"They're wonderful," he assured her before placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "How do you feel?"

"A little sore, a little tired... But I've never felt better," she added with a smile. "I'm a mother. I've been looking forward to this day all of my life. And sharing it with you just makes it even better."

He smiled at her, and sat in the chair by her bed. "The guys are out there... They're looking at the babies right now."

"I really want to hold them, Chandler," she said quietly.

"You will," he promised. "Someone's supposed to bring them to you in a few minutes," he informed her. "I'm sure they can't wait to see their mom again."

"I don't know. They seemed to like their dad an awful lot," Monica laughed weakly. "I think they've both got you wrapped around their little fingers already."

"Of course they do," he chuckled, and was interrupted by the opening door.

"Ms. Geller, you have some visitors," the nurse said cheerily and pushed a bassinet into Monica's room. She was followed by another nurse and another bassinet. "We'll leave the four of you alone, but you can buzz if you need anything at all," the nurse informed the proud parents before leaving the room again.

Monica glanced into the bassinets and felt tears running down her cheeks. "Could you?" she said, looking at Chandler, indicating that she wanted him to hand the babies to her.

He carefully took the babies out of their bassinets one at a time and placed them in Monica's arms. He smiled at the sight of the three most important people in his life, and just watched as Monica gazed at the tiny versions of herself. "My girls," he said quietly and smiled when Monica looked up at him. "I love you. All three of you."

"We love you, too," Monica whispered, then looked back at the babies. "I can't believe they came out of me," she marveled.

"I wouldn't believe it either if I hadn't seen it up close and personal," Chandler teased.

"Knock knock," Ross called, poking his head in the room. "Are you up for a little company?"

"Absolutely," Monica smiled and watched as her friends filed into her hospital room. She looked back down at the babies. "Girls, these are your aunts and uncles. Get used to them. We have to put up with them a lot," she teased, looking up to smile at everyone.

"Have you named them yet?" Rachel asked curiously.

"Well... No, we haven't," Monica replied. "We've talked about names, but nothing's set in stone yet."

"But we'll let you know as soon as we figure it out for ourselves," Chandler assured them and looked back at his family. His family. Chandler finally had a real family.

"They look just like you, Mon," Ross smiled at his sister.

"Yeah... Thank goodness they don't look like Chandler," Joey added, looking over at his best friend. "They're lucky kids."

"You can say that again," Chandler laughed.

"Could I hold one?" Phoebe asked excitedly. Monica nodded and watched as Phoebe took one of the babies from her.

"Here, Rach," Monica said, holding the other baby toward Rachel.

"Thank you," Rachel said quietly, taking the baby into her arms. "They're so little."

"Yeah. Premature babies usually are," Ross replied, looking over his wife's shoulder. "But they're healthy. That's all that matters."

"Wow. I can't believe _I'm_ gonna have one of these in a few more months," Joey said in awe, looking at the baby in Phoebe's arms. "Joey Tribbiani. A dad."

"How about this? Chandler Bing. A dad. Never thought it would happen, did you?" Chandler laughed. He leaned over and kissed Monica tenderly. "I'm so glad it _did_ happen. Especially with you."

==========

__

Knock! Knock!

Dr. Collins entered Monica's hospital room later that afternoon, prepared to talk with her patient about the "bad news."

"Hi, Monica. Chandler," she smiled and neared the bed. "I guess now is as good a time as any to talk about a few things."

"The bad news?" Chandler asked, holding Monica's hand. He felt her tighten her grip on his hand.

"Well, yes," the doctor replied, taking a seat by Monica's bed. "Monica, you were very lucky to make it through this birth. Your babies are perfectly healthy and, thankfully, so are you. I think you both know that you're very lucky to be doing this well, Monica."

"Yes, we know," Monica agreed.

"I'll stop beating around the bush. I'm sure you just want to get this over with," the doctor smiled sympathetically.

"Yes, thank you," Monica replied. "What's wrong with me?"

"You know, I've probably made this seem a little more horrible than it is. It isn't good news, but it's not the end of the world -"

Chandler had to stop her. "Doctor, I hate to interrupt, but... You know that bush? You're beating around it again."

"Yes. I'm sorry," Dr. Collins apologized. "This never gets easier... Monica, you can't have anymore children," she finally told them.

"Oh," Monica replied quietly. She wasn't sure whether to start crying or to thank the doctor for not telling her that she was dying.

Chandler got up from his chair and pulled Monica into a hug. He could tell, even though she had only uttered one word, that she was devastated.

"I'll let you have some time alone," the doctor said before standing up to leave. "We'll discuss the details later... And I'm very sorry," she continued, looking back at the couple as she walked out the door.

"Are you okay?" Chandler asked after a moment of silence. He was still holding her, and she was clinging to him as if her life depended on his embrace.

"I'll be fine," she answered unconvincingly. "I just... I just wish I..." She trailed off, finally allowing the tears to fall.

"Shh..." Chandler whispered, rubbing her back lovingly. "We've got two beautiful little girls, Mon. And if that's all we were meant to have, then that's what we'll have."

"I know," she said quietly, wiping away her tears and pulling away from him so she could look into his eyes. "They'll be plenty to keep our hands full, right?" she smiled weakly.

"Absolutely," Chandler agreed, smiling back at her. He kissed her tenderly.

"Besides, I'm too old to have anymore babies," Monica continued, looking over at the two bassinets by her bed. Both little girls were sleeping peacefully.

"Hey, you're not too old for anything," Chandler assured her and kissed her forehead. "You're a young, beautiful, brand new mother," he smiled.

"Yeah," she replied. "A brand new mother. I can't wait to take them home," she said, looking back at the babies. "We're going to be a perfect family, Chandler."

"We already are..."

==========

"Welcome home, girls," Monica whispered as she carried one of the babies into the apartment two days later. Chandler followed behind her with the other baby.

The others were supposed to come over later that evening to make sure the new parents had gotten settled in. For now, Monica and Chandler were alone with their daughters.

Monica sat down in the armchair and Chandler sat down on the couch. Both of them were fussing over the babies for several minutes before Monica looked up at Chandler and simply smiled. "Never in a million years would I have dreamed that I would give birth to your children," she laughed lightly.

He looked up at her and smiled. "I know... But here we are, at home with our beautiful baby girls."

"Yeah... It's pretty wonderful, isn't it?"

"It certainly is," he agreed, grinning. After another few minutes of fussing over the babies, Chandler looked back at Monica. "Hey, Mon?"

"Yeah?"

"I know that I'm going to sound like a horrible father, but... Which baby am I holding?" he asked hesitantly.

Monica laughed lightly. "The one you're holding is Abigail Rachel," she answered. "This one is Savannah Phoebe," she continued.

"Thanks... I guess I'm gonna have to get to know them a little better, huh?"

"I guess so... And you've got a lifetime to do it... But I think you need to remember their names as soon as possible."

"Will do," he smiled. "Do you think Phoebe and Rachel will be surprised that the babies have their names?"

"Probably... And thank you for letting me do that, by the way. They've just helped me through this so much... I thought it would be right... Besides, you wouldn't let me name either of them Chandler."

"They're girls, Mon. Chandler is a _man's_ name," he replied.

"All right, _sir_... I'm gonna put Vannah down," she said, looking at the sleeping bundle in her arms. "Are you coming with Abby?"

"I'm right behind you," he answered and followed her into the nursery. Soon the babies were in their cribs, sleeping peacefully, and Monica and Chandler were standing between the two beds, with Chandler's arms wrapped around Monica from behind. "I love you," he whispered and kissed the back of her neck.

"I love you, too," she whispered.

"Thank you so much," Chandler continued. "Thank you for my girls..."

==========

A/N - I could never kill Monica - or Chandler, for that matter. Did you really think I would? Anyway... I hope you liked the chapter. As for the names... I hope you liked them. Honestly, using Phoebe and Rachel as middle names was just so I wouldn't have to come up with two more names there. I've already named my own children - the ones that don't exist yet, but that's a whole different story - but it's kind of hard to do it when I'm writing. I have no idea why. Anyway... Sorry for my rambling. I guess I'm just in a rambling kind of mood... Please let me know what you thought.


	15. A Dream Come True

A/N - Thank you very much for your reviews on the last chapter. I'm glad you liked it. I have another chapter written, but I think I'm going to change it a little. Anyway, there will be one or two more chapters after this one, and an epilogue. I actually have most of the epilogue finished. I just need to fix what comes between this and that... Please let me know what you think of this chapter...

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The Gift

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Chapter Fifteen - A Dream Come True

"Finally asleep," Monica sighed. It was after midnight already, and she had finally gotten Savannah to go back to sleep. The babies were now five weeks old, and the new parents were quickly adjusting to life with crying babies, dirty diapers, and late night feedings. Monica crawled into bed beside Chandler, and he wrapped her up in his arms. She kissed his cheek and closed her eyes. "Good night, Chandler," she yawned.

"Good night, Mon," he replied. He watched her for a few minutes before he finally closed his eyes. They had both missed a lot of sleep lately, but he never heard Monica complain. He didn't complain either, but sometimes he wished that he didn't have to get out of bed every few hours nearly every night. But having two perfect daughters more than made up for the lack of sleep. They'd been through so much to finally get to this point, and he wouldn't trade it for anything. Neither of them would.

Two hours later, Monica woke up to the sound of two crying babies. She tried to push Chandler's arms off of her, but he stopped her.

"I'll go," he said and got out of bed. "You sleep," he continued before walking out of their bedroom and into the nursery.

"Hey, you two. Mom and Dad are tryin' to sleep in there," he said, taking Savannah out of her crib. She almost instantly stopped crying when she was in her father's arms. Chandler walked the short distance to Abby's crib and carefully picked her up. He'd gotten pretty good at having two babies in his arms at once, when there was a time that he had been afraid to hold even one. Abby's crying also began to get quieter, and Chandler sat down in the rocking chair, gently rocking back and forth.

He smiled when Savannah looked up at him and yawned. "You look just like your mommy," he laughed quietly, then looked over to see that Abby was already sleeping again. "Sometimes I think you two are just waking us up to make sure we're still here," he chuckled. "I promise. We're not going anywhere."

"You can say that again."

Chandler looked up from the babies to see Monica leaning against the door frame in her robe, her arms crossed over her chest. "I thought I told you to sleep," he said, watching as Monica walked over to the rocking chair.

"Yeah, but the baby monitor is still on in our room, and I could hear you guys," she informed him and leaned over to pick up Abby. "Besides, I like to be around to witness these father-daughter moments when I can," she smiled. Abby began to stir in her arms, so Monica gently rocked her back and forth, trying to calm her down, but it didn't seem to work. "She wants her daddy," Monica yawned, placing the baby back on Chandler's free arm. They obviously loved their mother, but both babies were definitely Daddy's little girls. And Chandler loved it.

"Honey, you really need sleep. I didn't mean to wake you up. I can handle this. We're fine, aren't we girls?" he said, looking back at the babies in his arms. The only response he got was a yawn from Savannah. "Yeah, we're good," he smiled, looking back at Monica.

"Chandler, you need sleep just as much as I do." She picked up Savannah this time and nestled the baby in her arms. The baby looked at her mother briefly, then closed her eyes. "You know, I think you're right," she said, looking back at Chandler.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.

"I think they really _are_ waking us up just to make sure we're still around. They just want to be held," she said, caressing the baby's cheek gently with her finger.

Chandler smiled at the sight of the mother and daughter together, then got up to stand in front of Monica. She looked up at him and he leaned in to kiss her tenderly. "Do you think it's safe to put them back in bed?"

"Yeah. I think so," she replied and stepped over to Savannah's crib, then carefully put the baby down. "Good night, girls," she whispered as she walked out of the room with Chandler.

Minutes later, they were back in their bed, snuggled up to each other. Chandler kissed the back of Monica's neck. "I love you, Monica."

"I love you, too."

==========

"How did you sleep?" Chandler asked the next morning when Monica entered the living room, yawning. It was almost eight, and Chandler was already up. He had Savannah in his lap, feeding her, and Abby was lying on the couch next to him. He was using his other hand to feed her.

"Very well," she replied and walked over to pick up the baby that was lying beside him. She took the spot where the baby had been and sat down with Chandler. "I don't think I've slept that much since the babies were born... Why didn't you wake me up? I know it's not easy taking care of these two by yourself."

"You needed the sleep. Besides, I'm not working today, so I thought I'd let you take it easy. Mon, you've been going nonstop since we brought the babies home from the hospital. You more than deserve a break."

"Chandler, I don't want a break. I want to be a mom. I'm lucky to have them, and I want to do this. I know it sounds weird, but I kind of _like_ being exhausted all the time. It lets me know that I'm doing everything I can for them."

"But you _can't_ do everything, and you don't need to. That's what I'm here for. Being exhausted all the time is not good for you. And you need to start saving some of your energy for planning our wedding," he said, smiling at her.

"Yeah... I guess you're right," she agreed reluctantly.

"Hey, I'm _always_ right," he smirked, then frowned when she glared at him. "Or not."

Monica finished feeding Abby and took her over to the playpen on the other side of the living room and carefully placed her in it. Chandler followed with Savannah.

"You know, I was just thinking about something," Chandler said, turning to look at Monica. He took her hands in his and brought them to his lips, placing a tender kiss on each of them. "I still haven't gotten to put a ring on your finger."

"No, you haven't," Monica smiled and pulled the chain that the engagement ring had been hanging on out of her nightgown, then took it off her neck. She handed it to him, and he took the ring off of the chain, then got down on one knee. "Are you going to propose _again_?" Monica asked, smiling down at him.

"Well... I just want to make sure you haven't changed your mind," he grinned. "Now that you've been through labor and delivery, I thought your opinion of me might have changed a little," he teased, then held the ring up so she could see it. "Monica Geller, will you please be my wife?"

"Yes, Chandler, I'll be your wife," she replied and watched as he slipped the ring onto her finger. "Thank goodness it fits this time," she laughed as he kissed her left hand again, then stood up and pulled her into a hug. "You've proposed to me three times now," she observed. "I have to tell you, there was a time when I didn't think you'd ever do that _once_ - to anybody," she said, holding him tightly. "There was also a time when I didn't think you'd ever want to be a father... But I guess you've proven me wrong several times," she laughed lightly, and pulled away a little so she could kiss him.

"You see? I proved you wrong. I guess that means I _am_ always right, huh?" he teased.

"Well... Maybe sometimes," she grinned. "But not always."

"Okay. Sometimes is better than never," he conceded. "Now. I think we should probably talk about a wedding date. And don't think that we have to do it right away. I want you to take all the time you need to make sure this is the wedding you've always dreamed of."

"Chandler, even if I'm wearing a bathrobe with a baby on each hip, it will still be the wedding I've always dreamed of. The only thing I need to make it perfect is you," she smiled at him, then continued. "Marrying the man that I love more than I've ever loved anyone _is_ my dream come true."


	16. Oh No

A/N - Thank you, again, for your reviews on the last chapters. I've had bits and pieces of the next two chapters written for awhile now, and I think I've finally finished. I really don't think this is my best work, but I can't get it to sound any better right now, and I'm trying to finish this up before my new semester of college starts. Oh, and a little side note - I'm in a very good mood because I passed my portfolio review and interview for admission to the education department last week. Thank goodness... lol Anyway... I hope this chapter is okay, and I'll try to have the next one up in a couple of days. The epilogue will probably be up by the end of the week.

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The Gift

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Chapter Sixteen - Oh No

"So... Where are we on the wedding planning?" Chandler asked. He had just come from the nursery where the two month old twins were sleeping peacefully.

"Well... Let's talk about that," Monica said as Chandler joined her on the couch. "I'd like to do it as soon as possible."

"Really?" She nodded. "Mon, I want you to take all the time you need. I'll wait forever, you know," he smiled at her.

"Oh, I know. But I just want to call myself Mrs. Bing as soon as I can manage," she teased and leaned over to give him a quick kiss. "I've been trying to figure this out, and I think I've finally got it. How about we have ourselves a wedding in four months?"

"Four months? Are you sure that's enough time?" he asked.

"That's plenty of time. I don't want a huge wedding, Chandler. I just want a small ceremony with our closest friends and family... Unless _you_ want more than that."

"No. Whatever you want is fine with me," he assured her. "So... Four months, huh? How'd you come up with that solution?"

"I had help," she answered. "Rachel and Phoebe were over here yesterday afternoon. Since I wanted to do it as soon as possible, we decided that we should do it before Phoebe has the baby, so that gave us five months. And I didn't want her having the baby at our wedding, so we pushed it up to four months from now. That'll still give us time to plan the whole thing."

"Sounds like you've got it all figured out," he smiled at her. "Whatever you need me to do to help you out with _anything_, just let me know. I'll be more than happy to oblige," he assured her.

"Good. Because I've got plenty for you to do..."

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"I cannot believe that you're actually going to marry Chandler Bing tomorrow," Rachel said as she sat in Monica and Chandler's living room with Phoebe and the bride-to-be. The twins were sleeping in the nursery, Rebecca was napping in Monica and Chandler's bedroom, and Chandler was somewhere with Joey and Ross.

"I know," Monica smiled brightly. "I can't believe it either... Just think. Two short years ago he was still commitment-phobic Chandler Bing. And now he's got two kids - and me."

"Yeah. The poor guy," Phoebe chimed in, rubbing her very pregnant stomach. "Now he's stuck with you for the rest of his life," she teased.

"You better believe it," Monica smiled. "Who would've thought fifteen years ago that the three of us would end up married to 'our guys?' It's kind of weird, actually."

"No it's not," Phoebe replied. "I mean, Ross and Rachel are lobsters, you know, so that was kind of a given. And I always knew that I'd hook up with Joey. Well... I didn't know I'd end up married to him and knocked up, but what's a girl to do?" she grinned. "And you," she continued, pointing at Monica. "You and Chandler were always lovey-dovey, even before you got together, so even if I _wasn't_ psychic, I could have figured that one out. Although it _did_ take you guys an awfully long time to figure it out for yourselves."

"Okay... So maybe it _was_ meant to be," Rachel said, going along with Phoebe's theories even if she didn't quite understand all of them. Besides, she didn't want to argue with her, especially since she was pregnant.

"Yeah," Monica sighed. "It's just a little too perfect," she smiled. "But who am I to complain? I get to marry the man of my dreams tomorrow afternoon."

==========

"I cannot believe that you're actually going to marry my little sister tomorrow," Ross sighed. The guys had decided to stay in at Ross and Rachel's for the evening. Chandler would be spending the night with Joey and Phoebe. Although their relationship was anything but traditional, Monica insisted that they had to observe at least _one_ tradition. He wasn't allowed to see her at all before the wedding.

"Me neither," Joey replied. "Actually I thought you'd be dead about the time you guys hooked up. I thought this guy," he said, gesturing toward Ross, "would have done you in by now."

"Thank goodness he didn't," Chandler answered. "And he can't now, since those little angels across the street would miss their daddy too much."

"Yeah. I wouldn't want to leave them without a father," Ross agreed. "Oh well..."

"Guys, I think we've gone soft," Chandler commented after a moment of silence.

"Soft? Are you kidding me? _Real men_ don't go soft," Joey argued.

"Think what you want, Joe, but just look at us. I was just thinking that this is my last night as a single man, and we're sitting here, surrounded by baby stuff," he answered, looking around the room. On the couch between Joey and himself were about half a dozen toys and stuffed animals, one of which Joey was cuddling. On the coffee table were several children's videos, as well as the rented copy of _Diehard_ Joey had picked up. He insisted that it was a classic - and Chandler and Ross had no arguments against his claim. "We're all fathers. I guess that happens, huh?"

"Yeah, I think so," Ross replied. "Sorry we're not going all out for you, man," he said, looking briefly at Chandler.

"No problem. I'm too exhausted to do anything anyway," he yawned. "I'd really rather just take a nap."

==========

__

Ring! Ring!

Monica picked up the phone on her nightstand and sleepily answered. "Hello?"

"Good morning, beautiful," the voice on the phone replied.

"Listen, mister," Monica smiled. "I'm getting married today, and I don't think my future husband would appreciate it if he knew I was getting phone calls from men with sexy voices calling me beautiful," she teased.

  
"A sexy voice, huh? Thanks," he laughed.

"No problem," Monica answered, then continued. "Good morning, Chandler."

"Good morning," he said again. "Are you ready to get married this afternoon?" he asked.

"Definitely. How about you? Are you ready to put up with me for the rest of your life?"

"Oh, I think I can manage," he teased.

"I hope so," Monica laughed. "So, not that I'm complaining, but why did you call?"

"I just wanted to check on you. This isn't against the rules, is it? I mean, I know I wasn't allowed to _see_ you before the wedding, but we can _talk_, can't we?"

"Sure. And even if we couldn't, we kind of did it already anyway, didn't we?"

"Yeah, I guess so," he smiled. "How did my girls sleep last night?"

  
"Well, they only got up once, thank goodness. Except for this one. I was up three or four times."

"Really? You're not nervous, are you?" he asked worriedly.

"No, of course not. I just have a strange feeling about today. Not necessarily a bad one, but just a strange one. Maybe I'm just a _little_ nervous."

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Chandler tried to assure her. "I guess I should let you go and get ready," he said reluctantly.

"Yeah... I've got a lot to do this morning," she replied. "I'll see you this afternoon. I think you'll recognize me. I'll be the one in the white dress walking down the aisle," she smiled.

He laughed lightly. "I'll make sure I remember that... I love you, Mon."

"I love you, too, Chandler," she said before hanging up the phone. "I guess it's time to get ready for a wedding..."

==========

"Phoebe, I really don't want you to do this if you don't feel up to it," Monica said just before Rachel and Phoebe were about to walk down the aisle with Ross and Joey. "Let Joey take you to sit down. You don't have to do this just for me."

"Monica, I'm fine. I've still got a month to put up with this," she said, placing her hands on her very large stomach. "I want to do this. And you shouldn't argue with a pregnant woman."

"All right," Monica agreed reluctantly. "But if you want to sit down during the ceremony, do it. Okay?"

"Okay," Phoebe replied. "Now, come on. Let's get you married."

Moments later, the bridal party had walked down the aisle, and Monica was escorted down the aisle by her father. When she entered the room, she was greeted by Chandler's loving smile.

Monica was wearing a simple white wedding gown and veil. Although she didn't want a big ceremony, she did want her dress to be special. And it was. Chandler commented on it when he took her hand at the altar. "You look incredible," he whispered.

"Thank you," she replied, smiling brightly at him. She could hear the twins cooing behind her. They were with her parents, all dressed up for the occasion.

The minister began the ceremony momentarily. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy -"

"Oh no."


	17. Mr. and Mrs. Chandler Bing

A/N - Thanks again for your reviews. I hope you like this chapter...

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The Gift

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Chapter Seventeen - Mr. and Mrs. Chandler Bing

"Oh no." As soon as the ceremony had begun, it was interrupted by Phoebe's signature cry.

"Pheebs, what's wrong?" Rachel whispered, looking over at her friend, concerned.

"My water just broke," Phoebe whispered in reply. Although she had tried to keep it quiet, Joey had somehow managed to hear her.

"Her water broke! I'm gonna be a daddy!" he exclaimed, rushing over to her side. "Come on. We've gotta get you to the hospital."

By this time, the bride and groom - as well as everyone else in the room - had turned their attention to the woman in labor.

"I don't think so. I'm staying until these two are pronounced husband and wife," she said stubbornly. "Besides, this could take hours," she continued, referring to labor and delivery.

"Phoebe, you really need to go to the hospital," Monica insisted.

"Yeah. We can take care of this without you," Chandler agreed.

"No. Just get started. The sooner you do that, the sooner I can go and have this baby. Now get on with it!" she demanded.

"Okay, okay," Chandler said, backing away. He looked at the minister. "I think we're gonna get on with it," he said, taking Monica's hand again. He then leaned in to whisper to the minister. "Just make it quick."

The minister nodded in understanding, and continued with the ceremony. "As I was saying... We are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. Uh, the bride and groom have written their own vows, and at this time, we will... Well, get on with it," he said nervously. In all his years as a minister, he had never conducted a wedding ceremony in which one of the bridesmaids had gone into labor. "Monica?" he said, turning to the bride.

Monica began by smiling at Chandler. Phoebe was in labor just a few feet away from her, but she wasn't going to let that stop her from telling Chandler exactly how she felt on one of the most important days of their lives. "Chandler, you've been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. You've been one of the people I knew I could always count on, no matter what I needed, and you've proven how much you care about me in more ways than one," she smiled through tears. "We've been through a lot together, and I know in my heart that you and I have always been meant to spend our lives together. You're the man I've looked for all my life. I just didn't realize that you were right in front of me all along... I love you, Chandler. And I always will."

Chandler smiled at her, then lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"Ch-"

"Ouch!" Phoebe yelped suddenly, interrupting the minister again. "Sorry," she smiled sweetly, looking at him, then at Monica and Chandler. "Continue."

The minister cleared his throat. "Chandler?"

"Monica, all of my life I've run away from commitment. I never thought that I would _want_ to commit to anyone, until I fell in love with you. I'd do anything to be able to spend every second of every minute of every day of the rest of my life with you. We _have_ been through a lot - especially over the last couple of years - but we made it through everything, and I think that means a lot. Everything we've faced has made us stronger, and I don't think there's anything that we can't handle together." He reached over to wipe a few tears from Monica's cheek. "I love you. I think I always have, in one way or another. And I know that I will _always_ love you... Mrs. Bing," he grinned.

Monica wiped away her tears and smiled at Chandler. Then the minister continued. "Now we will exchange the rings," he said, indicating that Rachel and Ross should hand the rings to the bride and groom.

They each placed the ring on the other's finger, then looked into each other's eyes and locked in a tender kiss.

"I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Chandler Bing," the minister announced.

Phoebe took this as her cue. "And I'm gonna present your baby right here, right now, if you don't get me to the hospital ASAP," she yelled at Joey as the happy couple broke their kiss.

"All right, Pheebs. Let's go," Joey said nervously, hurriedly leading her through the nearest exit. He was amazed at how quickly her mood had changed in the last few minutes, but he figured it had something to do with preparing to push another human being out of her body. He wasn't going to question it.

==========

"I'm really sorry that your perfect wedding got interrupted," Chandler apologized as he and Monica stood outside the nursery window, looking in at Joey and Phoebe's baby boy. Ross and Rachel were still with the new parents, while Chandler and Monica were on the way out of the hospital and home to their own babies.

"Chandler, there's nothing to be sorry about. Today was one of the most wonderful days of my life. We got married, and two of our best friends had a baby. That's pretty good for one day's work," she grinned.

"Yeah, I guess so," he smiled back at her and took her hand in his. "Now, why don't we go home and enjoy our wedding night?"

"And by 'enjoy our wedding night' you _do_ mean 'wake up about three times to crying babies,' right?" she teased.

"Well, sure. If that's what we've gotta do, then that's what we've gotta do," he said as he led her down the hallway and toward the elevators. "We could still leave them with your parents, you know."

"I know... Do you think they'd be okay? I mean, they're only six months old, and they've never been away from us overnight."

"Mon, if you don't feel comfortable, then we don't have to do it. I'm just glad that I can finally call you my wife. Mrs. Monica Bing. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" he grinned.

"Yes, I do," she laughed. "I think the girls will be okay with my parents tonight," she grinned mischievously, looking up at him.

"If you're sure," he replied, smiling back at her.

"Yeah. I'm sure," she answered and stepped into the elevator, holding tightly to her new husband's hand.

==========

"I love you," Chandler whispered, holding his new bride close to him while they danced to one of Monica's favorite love songs.

"I love you, too," she replied, her head resting on his shoulder.

They continued to dance even after the music stopped, neither of them even noticing that the singer's voice was no longer echoing through their apartment. After several minutes of holding onto each other, Monica lifted her head and looked into Chandler's eyes.

"I think the music stopped," she smiled slightly and reached up to kiss him tenderly.

"Really? I think I still hear something," he smiled back at her and kissed her again, this time more passionately.

"Think we can still hear it in the bedroom?" she asked breathlessly once the kiss had ended.

"I think so... And if we can't, we could always make our _own_ music," he grinned before picking her up and whisking her away to their bedroom, shutting the door behind them.

==========

"I could spend the rest of my life wrapped in your arms," Monica sighed hours later, lying in bed with her husband.

"You know, we'd never get anything done," he teased and kissed the top of her head. "But I could probably handle that," he added.

"Yeah, I'm sure you could," she laughed lightly. She was quiet for a few minutes, obviously thinking about something. "You know," she began, "you and I really began over fifteen years ago. If you hadn't made that offer to father my baby..." She trailed off, wondering what might have happened if that conversation had never happened.

"If I hadn't made that offer to father your baby, we _still_ would have ended up together," he insisted. "It had to happen sooner or later. I mean, this is what was _supposed_ to happen all along. You know what I mean?" he asked.

"I think so," she answered, turning to face him. "But if we had realized sooner... Do you think we might have worked out then?"

He paused, then gave his answer. "No, I don't think so," he answered honestly. "We went through a lot to get where we are now. All of those things got us to this night, lying here, husband and wife, mother and father... If we had gotten together sooner, we might not have Abigail and Savannah."

"Yeah... You're right," she replied. "But..."

"But what?" he asked curiously.

"Maybe I wouldn't have lost the _first_ baby," she said quietly.

"Hey," he said soothingly. "Remember what I told you right after we had the miscarriage?"

She nodded, taking note of the fact that he had said "we." She knew that, deep down, he still thought he was to blame for losing their first child. She, on the other hand, still thought that it was her own fault. "There's a reason for everything," she whispered.

"Yeah... And I think that we lost that baby because without going through that horribly difficult time together, we might not have lasted. That brought us together, Mon, in more ways than one."

"You're right," she agreed and snuggled closer to him. "Thank you for... Well, for _you_," she said, looking at him and smiling.

"Thank you for agreeing to spend the rest of your life with me," Chandler responded and kissed her tenderly before they both closed their eyes and fell asleep, content in each other's arms.

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A/N - It's a weak chapter, but I couldn't come up with any improvements for it and I'm trying to get this finished in the next couple of days. I'll have the epilogue up sometime this weekend. It's almost finished, and I think it's a lot better than this chapter... Anyway, let me know what you thought.


	18. Giving Me the World (Epilogue)

A/N - This is it... Thank you so much for your reviews. I'm really glad you've enjoyed this. I've really enjoyed writing it. Please let me know what you think of this chapter...

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The Gift

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Chapter Eighteen (Epilogue) - Giving Me the World

"Girls, I promise your dad will be home soon. Just be patient, and help me out here," Monica sighed, trying to dress her daughters after their bath. She had somehow managed to convince them that taking a bath before Chandler got home from his late meeting was a good idea. That was one trait they had definitely inherited from their father. They hated taking baths.

"Honey, I'm home," Chandler called with a slight chuckle while closing the door behind him.

"Daddy!" Abby exclaimed, rushing out of the bathroom and into Chandler's waiting arms. Savannah soon followed, although it was obvious that she had rushed. She had only managed to get her head and one arm into her pajama top.

"Hey, you," Chandler laughed and helped Savannah fix her pajamas. "You didn't miss me, did you?" he teased, picking both of the four year old girls up and carrying them toward the living room.

"I did, Daddy!" Savannah exclaimed.

"Me too!" Abby added.

It was then that Monica emerged from the bathroom, soaking wet. "I bet _Mommy_ missed me," Chandler chuckled when he saw her disheveled state. "I bet you could've used some help," he smiled as he put the girls down on the couch, then stepped over to kiss his wife tenderly.

"Yes, it would've been nice," she smiled. "Now, give me a big hug," she grinned, holding out her arms to him.

"I'd love to, but I might get a little wet," he said and took one of her hands. She took that as her opportunity and pulled him into a hug. "Now that wasn't very fair, was it, Abby?" he said, looking at his daughter.

"Yes, Daddy," Abby giggled.

"Oh, come on!" he laughed, still wrapped in Monica's arms. "Savannah? You're on my side, right?"

"That was funny," she giggled along with her sister.

"All right. That's enough giggling for tonight. I think it's past your bedtime," Monica said, looking at the twins.

"But Mommy -"

"No. It's bedtime. Go on and get into bed, and we'll tuck you in in just a minute, okay?" she said and watched as the girls got off of the couch.

"Daddy, will you tell us a bedtime story?" Savannah asked before going into the bedroom.

"Sure. I'll be right there," he smiled and watched the girls go into their room. "You know, that really wasn't very nice," he teased, looking back at Monica, who was still clinging to him.

"But it was fun," she smiled and reached up to kiss him. "We are so lucky," she sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I know," he said quietly, thinking about their little family.

A moment passed before Monica spoke again. "Do you ever think about what it would have been like if we'd had more children? Or if I... Well, if I hadn't lost the first baby."

He sighed. "Honestly... Yeah, I've thought about it. But we can't change anything, Mon. I love our little girls, and I love you. And that's all we need," he smiled, looking into her eyes again.

She looked down, then back up at him. "Chandler? What would you say if I told you we were going to have another baby?" she asked.

His eyes widened. "Well, I'd probably say 'huh?' - after I'd regained consciousness... Monica... You're not telling me that you're pregnant, are you?" he asked.

"No, of course not. I can't have anymore children, remember?" she replied. "I just... I guess I just wanted to know what you really thought about this. I mean, you could go on and have children with someone else, you know. I know how much you love the girls. You're such a wonderful father, Chandler. I just wish I had been able to give you more chances to _be_ a father."

"Monica, we've been through this. Everything is just as it should be. We don't need more children. We've got the two most precious little human beings in the world right in there," he said, pointing towards the girls' room. "And I'm Savannah and Abigail's father. I don't need to be a father to anyone but them."

"I know," Monica replied quietly. "I love you so much... You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah... I know that," Chandler smiled at her and kissed her again. "I love you, too, you know."

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"All right. What kind of story do you want to hear tonight?" Chandler asked, sitting in a chair between Abby and Vannah's beds.

"Something with a beautiful princess," Abby replied.

"And a handsome prince," Savannah giggled.

"Okay. A princess and a prince. I think I can do that," Chandler smiled. "Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess who was looking all over the world to find her knight in shining armor. One day -"

"No, Daddy. A _prince_," Savannah interrupted.

"Oh, right," Chandler laughed. "Sorry... To find her _prince_... So, one day this beautiful princess was talking to one of her very good friends. He was a very, very handsome prince, but the princess had never thought of him as anything other than a friend. But, one day, the prince and princess realized that they were perfect for each other and fell head-over-heels in love. The prince and princess went through a lot of good and bad times before they were finally able to be truly happy together. And one wonderful day, the prince and princess were blessed with two adorable, wonderful, _sleepy_ daughters named Abby and Vannah."

"That's us!" Abby exclaimed.

"Yes, that's you," Chandler replied. "And do you know what the names of the prince and princess are?"

"I know!" Savannah answered. "Mommy and Daddy."

Chandler laughed lightly. "Right. Mommy and Daddy. And Daddy thinks that you two need to get some sleep now," he continued, and kissed each of their foreheads while tucking them in one more time. "Good night," he said as he turned out the light. "I love you both."

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"Do you think the storm will wake the girls?" Monica asked as she lie in bed, wrapped in Chandler's arms.

"I don't know... Maybe they'll sleep through it," he replied as the thunder roared and the lightning flashed, lighting up their bedroom.

Monica's question was answered seconds later when the bedroom door opened and two sleepy little girls walked into the room, each clutching a stuffed animal.

"Girls, what are you doing out of bed?" Monica asked.

"We're scared, Mommy," Savannah whimpered as both girls reached the bed. "Can we sleep with you and Daddy?" she asked, rubbing her eyes with a tiny clenched fist.

"I don't know, honey. We'll have to ask Daddy." Monica looked to Chandler for an answer. She knew he wouldn't be able to tell them no.

"Of course you can," he said. Abby ran to Chandler's side of the bed and he lifted her onto the bed, while Monica did the same with Savannah. Soon the little family was all tucked into bed. Both girls had already closed their eyes, ready to fall asleep again.

"I love you, Daddy," Abby yawned and snuggled up to her father.

Chandler's heart always melted when he heard those four little words. "I love you, too, Abby," he whispered and kissed the little girl's forehead.

"I love you, too, Mommy," she continued, yawning again.

"And I love you," Monica responded.

Savannah, who didn't appear to be quite as tired as her sister, immediately sat up. "Me too!" she protested. "I love you, too, Mommy and Daddy! It's my turn!"

Monica couldn't help laughing. "We love you, too, Vannah," she assured the little girl and hugged her tightly.

"That's right," Chandler agreed. "We love both of you very, very, _very_ much," he grinned. Savannah giggled, then cuddled back up to her mother. Soon, both girls were sleeping again.

Chandler reached across them and took Monica's hand, locking their fingers together. "I love you, too," he whispered and smiled at his wife.

"I know," she grinned. "I love you, too."

They were silent for a moment, both watching their daughters sleeping, before Chandler spoke again.

"You know, we've got the whole world between us right now," he said, looking back at Monica, "but I've never felt closer to you."

She smiled at his comment and squeezed his hand gently. "Thanks for _giving_ me the world," she said quietly. "And thanks for being a part of it," she added.

He simply smiled at her, looked down at their sleeping angels, then looked back up at Monica. "I wouldn't mind just living in our own little world with just the four of us forever, you know. You're all I've ever needed."

"And you're all _I've_ ever needed," she responded. "But I'm kind of glad that when I got _you_, I got the special double bonus deal too. It's kind of like three gifts for the price of one."

He chuckled lightly. "And believe me, Monica. It's a gift that I've been _more_ than happy to give."

**__**

The End

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A/N - That's it. It's finally finished... I really hope you liked the epilogue - and the story as a whole. Let me know what you thought.


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